New Zealand Parole Board -

Parole Hearing

Under section 21(2) of the Parole Act 2002

Nathan BOULTER

Hearing: 16 September 2021

via AVL to Otago Corrections Facility

Members of the Board: Judge D Mather – Panel Convenor

Dr S Davis

In Attendance:                               [withheld] - Case Manager

DECISION OF THE BOARD

1. Mr Boulter appears again for consideration of parole.  He is serving a combined sentence of three years two months for violent offending.
2. The initial offending involved threatening to kill on a number of occasions, assault with intent to injure, and being unlawfully in a yard.  He stalked the victim who was a female friend of [withheld], and with whom he was in the preliminary stages (in his view) of getting into a relationship with.
3. The second sentence of nine months which was added to the initial sentence was for assault with intent to injure.  The victim was a staff member at the [withheld] where Mr Boulter was and there is a further charge of misusing the telephone.
4. The last Board adjourned the parole issue to allow Mr Boulter to consider a recent and full [withheld].  That has now been provided.  Mr Boulter takes no particular issue with any of the views in that report.
5. This report raises serious concerns around Mr Boulter's behaviour and risks.  [withheld]
6. There is also a concern about his emotional stability and his insight into [withheld].  These are reflected in the fact that he has for a year or more been housed in the intervention support unit.  That allows for regular checks given Mr Boulter’s [withheld].
7. The PCO told us that he moves between that unit and a management unit for voluntary segregated offenders and that has been a pattern for quite some time.
8. The Board also has a psychological report prepared in March this year.  We note that the interview with the psychologist had to be terminated because of a threat from Mr Boulter.  The psychologist identified an array of unmet treatment needs.
9. To his credit Mr Boulter accepted that he has a range of deep-seated issues which need to be addressed.  He is unsure how long that will take and acknowledged the possibility that he may need to serve his entire sentence.
10. The scheduled meeting with the psychologist to establish a sentence plan or begin treatment did not occur on 16 August.  We were told this will not occur until the prison is at COVID-19 Level 1 which is somewhat uncertain.
11. Mr Boulter expressed anxiety about being around other prisoners and being able to engage in a group programme.  That would suggest that he may well be planned to undertake one-to-one work with a psychologist, and we support a plan being worked out for him as soon as that can occur.
12. There is a possibility he may be moved to [withheld] which might delay him being assessed and starting on any identified treatment programme.
13. Against that background we cannot be satisfied that Mr Boulter is no longer a risk to public safety.  He was not expecting parole and parole must be declined.
14. We will see him again in June 2022 no later than 30 June when progress can be assessed.
15. This decision has been issued following consideration of parole in accordance with the provisions of an epidemic management notice issued by the Government on 30 March 2020 and in accordance with section 13A of the Parole Act 2002.  There has been a hearing conducted by a Panel Convenor and Board member.  All of the usual material has been considered and there has been a MS Teams discussion involving the Board, the offender, the Case Manager and The Principal Corrections Officer.