Tamaoho Nuku was jailed for two years and three months last July for violently shaking his 2-month-old daughter because her crying interrupted him playing video games.
The child suffered bleeding in her brain and eyes, seizures and developmental delays.
Nuku was arrested in May 2015 after the child was rushed to Dunedin Hospital with what were initially feared as life-threatening injuries including multiple fractures to her limbs.
As Nuku spent more than a year in custody on remand, he will be released from prison on August 19 - little more than a year after he was sentenced for the crimes - despite the New Zealand Parole Board's fears about his risk to the public.
Nuku appeared before the board on April 27, where it was heard he presented a more than 60% chance of being re-jailed for further violent offending.
It is understood he has shown few signs of rehabilitation.
``To date on this sentence Mr Nuku has completed no substantive intervention,'' the board's decision said.
Despite his risk of reoffending, he was yet to see a psychologist behind bars.
``He has shown as wait-listed to be assessed by the psychologist but ... he is not regarded as a priority,'' the parole board said.
``The board sees the situation differently. We are concerned with his risk.
``He has a record of serious violence and the two offences for which he is now imprisoned raise significant risk issues in their own right. We are of the view that urgent intervention is needed having regard to his statutory release date.
``Accordingly, we support Mr Nuku's reference to the psychologist for assessment and treatment with a view to him leaving prison with a safety plan.
``Anything less than that would in our view mean he would pose an undue risk to the safety of the community.''
In addition to the charge related to his child's injuries, Nuku was also placed on the child sex offender register because of an objectionable publication found on his mobile phone.
The text document was located by police and resulted in a concurrent sentence of six weeks' jail.
The parole board's decision revealed Nuku had a criminal history stretching over 15 years - despite being aged in his early 30s - and totalling about 50 convictions, including convictions for serious violence and domestic violence.
The child's mother told the parole board she wanted nothing to do with Nuku.
At sentencing, the court heard the child's injuries were so severe the then-16-month-old had the development of a 4-month-old, could not walk or crawl and could only roll from her back on to her stomach.
``You have broken her in every possible way,'' the victim's mother tearfully told Nuku during the sentencing.
The board has called Nuku before it again on July 30.
At that hearing, the board can grant parole and impose conditions which will last beyond his statutory sentence.
However, even if parole is declined, Nuku will walk from prison free of monitoring a few weeks later.
