Lorin Winter (44) is serving a five-year-three-month jail term at the Otago Corrections Facility after he was convicted in 2019 of seven counts of burglary, two of possessing a weapon, and receiving and unlawfully taking a vehicle.
He was declined parole following a hearing last month but his report was far more positive than it had been seven months earlier.
At that stage, Winter had been assessed as a high risk of reoffending and a psychologist said he was not equipped to be reintroduced to society.
Since then, the inmate had completed the medium-intensity rehabilitation programme and was working on the prison’s dairy farm.
Winter’s security classification was now minimum and a Corrections officer gave a glowing report of his conduct behind bars.
On June 26, 2018, police raided Winter’s Brockville home, the court heard at sentencing, and found more than 600 items of stolen property.
It was only half of what had been stolen during the seven-month spree of break-ins.
Winter said the crimes were driven by his severe addiction to methamphetamine.
All but one of the burglaries occurred when families were out or on holiday and most targeted more affluent suburbs, such as Maori Hill, Belleknowes and Waverley.
Winter’s criminal history stretched back to 1993 and included eight years’ imprisonment for rape and unlawful sexual connection.
There were also convictions for arson in 1997 and 21 burglaries.
Parole Board panel convener Judge Jane Lovell-Smith said Winter had applied for a spot in supported accommodation.
"Mr Winter is keen to be released to [withheld] where he has family support and would enable him to make a fresh start."
He will see the board again by July.
