Bali parole board says Schapelle Corby should go free - The Daily Telegraph

Schapelle Corby inside Kerobokan prison in Denpasar, Bali. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

SCHAPELLE Corby's chances of an early release from prison have been given a massive boost with corrections officers in Bali recommending her for parole.

The green light from the Bali corrections board (BAPAS) increases the likelihood that the convicted drug smuggler could soon be released from Kerobokan jail to live with her sister Mercedes in Bali.

Ketut Artha, the head of the Denpasar BAPAS office, has told AAP that the parole recommendation was handed to prison officials on Friday.

"The content is that we agree with suggestion that Corby gets her parole," he told AAP today while attending Indonesian independence day celebrations at Kerobokan jail.

"Our consideration is that Corby has shown good behaviour while in prison, that local society and officials could accept her and the family is ready with guarantee.

GALLERY: Schapelle Corby's life

Schapelle Corby breaks down when the Bali court sentenced her to life in prison. She now has a chance to walk free on parole.

"So now, we're only waiting for the minister's decree."

The crucial recommendation will now be passed on to the Law and Human Rights Ministry before final approval, which could come within weeks.

"We're no longer waiting for anything else because Corby now eligible for parole," Ketut said.

"Maybe it's possible within a month that decree issued. It depends on prison and local office in processing it, if it is fast or not."

Corby has been eligible to apply for parole since last August but her legal team had baulked at lodging an application after the Indonesian government introduced tough new conditions for prisoners convicted of serious crimes including drug trafficking.

Schapelle Corby in her cell at Kerobokan Prison, Bali.

But the recommendation from BAPAS is a massive boost and all but clears the way for Corby to gain parole.

Corby would have to serve out the remainder of her sentence in Bali, which would see her remain on the island until mid-2015, so long as she continues to win the maximum eight months per year in remissions.

The recommendation from BAPAS, revealed today, comes after corrections officers visited the home of Mercedes Corby on Tuesday to assess whether it would be a suitable place for her to live.

It's understood the officers also inspected documents related to Schapelle's parole, including an unprecedented guarantee letter from the Australian government.

Corby, who was caught in 2004 attempting to smuggle more 4.1kg of marijuana into Bali, was sentenced to 20 years in jail but had her prison term slashed by five years by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

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