The main aims of the current study were to determine (a) whether offender unconditional release increases the risk, speed or seriousness of further offending compared with conditional release (i.e. parole) and (b) whether more frequent supervision reduces the risk, speed and seriousness of re-offending, compared with more frequent supervision. The results revealed that offenders who received parole supervision took longer to commit a new offence, were less likely to commit a new indictable offence and committed fewer offences than offenders who were released unconditionally. The answer to the second question is that parolees with a higher than average number of supervision contacts take longer to commit any new offence and record fewer offences within 36 months of being released. This effect, however, is only present for offenders receiving rehabilitative support as well as more intense supervision.