Speaking publicly for the first time in his role, former defence solicitor and detective Peter Shields, who is one of two deputy presidents of the Parole Board Queensland, told The Courier-Mail: “Our highest priority is the safety of the community, and they’re not just hollow words; we mean that.”

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In a wide-ranging interview weeks after ex-Billabong boss Matthew Perrin made headlines for being quietly released from custody one year before his parole eligibility, Mr Shields — who refused to talk about the case, other than to say he had declared a conflict because he previously defended the man — said he believed the board was a transparent decision-maker.

“Our decisions are transparent in that the correspondence sent to the prisoner outlines everything we are taking into account,” he said.

Mr Shields said prisoners were given detailed reasons when denied parole and could seek judicial review if they were unhappy with a decision.

“As far as the community is concerned, that is a very difficult space,” he explained, saying the three senior board members separately chair meetings to consider hundreds of parole applications and suspensions each week.

“Would I personally like to be able to write detailed reasons that are published as to why (someone) was granted parole? Yes,” he said.

“Realistically, if I did that for every application I sat on a week I might get through 10.”

Mr Shields said public hearings and published reasons were given for all applications made under the new “no body, no parole” laws — which stop a prisoner being released if they fail to reveal where their victim’s remains are located — because of the serious consequences for prisoners.

The Parole Board Queensland is headed by president Michael Byrne QC and sits with deputy presidents Mr Shields and Julie Sharp.

The stand-alone board was set up in mid-2017 following a review into the parole system undertaken by Walter Sofronoff QC.

“We need to maintain our independence,” Mr Shields said.

“We are an independent statutory body. Moving forward we would like to be a separate entity … I’m not being critical of the Government but we inherited a system where we could be seen to be attached to (Queensland) Corrective Services but I think from a public perception perspective, it’s important we are seen (to be) uniquely independent and we are making decisions without fear or favour, without any influence…”

The Parole Board Queensland sits in weekly and considers up to 240 applications for parole.

It is made up of five members including representatives from the police, health professionals, members of the community and the public service.

Mr Shields said decisions to grant parole always considered submissions from victims.

“There is nothing that the courts, the police, the board can do to rectify what’s been done for some of these people,” he said.

“But it’s important the public understand the part parole does play in the criminal justice system.”

He later added: “When (we) speak about the victims and the feelings, we understand it completely. There is no simple answer to it. It would be disingenuous.”