Andrew Ronald MACMILLAN 2/12/21

Parole Hearing

Under section 21(2) of the Parole Act 2002

Andrew Ronald MACMILLAN

Hearing: Thursday 2 December 2021

at Otago Corrections Facility via Videoconference

Members of the Board: Sir Ron Young – Chairperson

Assoc Prof P Brinded

Ms M Dodd

Counsel:                                            Mr A Dawson

In Attendance:                                  [withheld] - Case Manager

DECISION OF THE BOARD

  1. Mr MacMillan, who is 55 years of age, was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder.  Subsequently he has had a number of releases and recalls to prison.  He had two pages of convictions prior to the murder in 1989.
  2. We saw him last in February 2021.  He had been recalled and released in July the previous year and then recalled again in September for cannabis possession and possession of a knife.  Our view was that Mr MacMillan needed to work with a psychologist on a one‑to‑one basis to address two things:  Firstly, the reasons why he kept coming back to prison and appeared to be unable to practise what he had learnt in prison through his rehabilitation; and, secondly, to further develop his safety plan.
  3. As to the position today, it had been proposed that Mr MacMillan would be released into the South Island, but as it turned out that has not worked out well and he now has a potential release address at [withheld] in Hamilton.
  4. We consider the way forward for him is as follows:  He needs to do the risk-based work with the psychologist that we identified back in February.  That has only now just begun.  He has had two sessions with a psychologist to identify what work needs to be done and it is anticipated that work would be completed by late February 2022.  At that stage we think the proper course will be to transfer Mr MacMillan to Waikeria Prison in the Waikato.  That will be the nearest prison to his release address in Hamilton, and then he can start to work with [withheld] and having guided releases to their residence if they accept him for release there.
  5. In the meantime, given the work still to be done, Mr MacMillan remains an undue risk.  We will see again by the end of April 2022.

Sir Ron Young

Chairperson