The media as well as some politicians, lawyers, and criminologists have strongly attacked parole in Australia as being a charade. They came to view the minimum incarceration period set by the courts as the real sentence rather than as part of the total sentence. However, little meaningful research exists regarding parole, no acceptable substitute has been found, and rates of imprisonment continue to rise, despite growing recognition that imprisonment is not the appropriate sanction for most crimes. A recent study showed that 68.8 percent of those paroled in the 20 years before June 1985 completed the parole period, even though many parolees suffer serious socioeconomic disadvantages. Parole is currently being viewed as part of the effort to avoid prison overcrowding. The recent legislative changes in Western Australia have retained the philosophy that parole is a privilege and not a right. In the future it will be virtually automatic in most cases, but the parole board will have generally unlimited discretion regarding deferring, refusing, or canceling parole. The courts will impose only a maximum sentence for each offense, rather than the previous minimum and maximum incarceration periods. The date of parole eligibility will be set by a statutory formula. The legislation represents a realistic and constructive effort to deal with the credibility problem parole has been facing. 23 reference notes.