New Zealand Parole Board -

Parole Hearing

Under section 21(1) of the Parole Act 2002

Marlene Dorothy TAYLOR

Hearing: 4 December 2018

at Arohata Prison

Members of the Board:

• Ms K Snook – Panel Convenor
• Ms S Driver
• Mr S Perry

Counsel:

• Ms J Robertson

Support Persons:

• [withheld]
• [withheld]

DECISION OF THE BOARD

1. Marlene Dorothy Taylor, 71, appeared for the first consideration of parole in relation to a sentence of three years five months’ imprisonment for conspiring to sell cannabis and one representative charge of supplying methamphetamine.
2. Ms Taylor’s convictions are for her role in a methamphetamine supply operation in the Manawatu area over a period in October/November 2016.  The operation was run by Ms Taylor's son Brian from inside Manawatu Prison.  He was already serving a lengthy term of imprisonment at the time.
3. Ms Taylor was in a vulnerable position at the time of her offending.  Her mother and then her husband had died.  Her son put pressure on her to use money from her husband’s death for what he said was a car-related business.  It is clear that during the course of the operation Ms Taylor became aware of what the money was actually being used for.  She admitted today that she did not tell the Police and continued to be involved.  She now knows that her son manipulated her.  [withheld].
4. These are Ms Taylor's only convictions.
5. Ms Taylor’s sentence commenced on 8 November 2017, she is eligible for parole from 20 December 2018, and has a sentence expiry date of 29 March 2021.  Ms Taylor is on minimum prison security classification and has a RoC*RoI of 0.07278.
6. Ms Taylor is described as a mature prisoner and an excellent role model.  We had submissions in advance of the hearing from Ms Taylor’s counsel, Ms Robertson.  Ms Taylor was seeking release on parole.  Ms Robertson referred to Ms Taylor’s life which, until the index offending, has been spent serving the community in a prosocial way.  Ms Taylor has been a Justice of the Peace for 25 years, and she has been involved in other community service work including for Victim Support.  Ms Taylor has considerable support in the community including from [withheld].
7. Ms Taylor has an approved address with [withheld].  She lost her own accommodation which was in a Housing New Zealand home, due to the offending.  She will remain living with [withheld] until she is able to obtain a place on her own again.  Ms Taylor plans to re-engage with counselling in the community.  She had begun counselling after her husband's death and prior to sentencing.
8. Although Ms Taylor has been scheduled to complete the Kowhiritanga programme it is unclear when that will be offered to her in prison.  She is willing to participate in that programme in prison or in the community.  Whether that is actually necessary is something that still needs to be determined.
9. It is clear that Ms Taylor has learnt a lot as a result of her imprisonment.  She told the Board that she realises now that her son has manipulated her a lot in the past.  This was confirmed by [withheld].  Although Ms Taylor accepts that her son may be a risk to her in the future, he has been sentenced to a further lengthy term of imprisonment and is not yet eligible for parole.  Ms Taylor told the Board that although she is in monthly contact with her son via telephone, she will not be offering her address for any release proposal for him and will not be visiting him in prison.
10. We are satisfied today, given the nature of Ms Taylor’s offending and the fact that these are her only convictions, together with the support and supervision that is available to her, she would not be an undue risk to the safety of the community if released to serve the remainder of her sentence on parole.
11. Given Ms Taylor’s parole eligibility date of 28 December 2018, we are directing her release on parole on [withheld] January 2019.  She will be released on the standard conditions and on the special conditions set out below.  We have amended the special conditions and they now provide that if directed Ms Taylor is to undertake and complete any counselling or programmes as directed by her probation officer.  She is also not to have contact with her son, Brian Taylor, without the prior written permission of her probation officer.
12. All conditions will last for 18 months past Ms Taylor’s release date of [withheld] January 2019.
13. The special conditions are:

    (1) If directed, to undertake and complete any counselling/programmes/treatment directed by a Probation Officer.

    (2) To reside at [withheld] or any other address approved in writing by a Probation Officer, and not move from that address unless you have the prior written approval of a Probation Officer.

    (3) Not to communicate or associate with your co-offender Brian Taylor directly or indirectly, unless you have the prior written approval of a Probation Officer.