Never To Be Released (1992) by Paul B. Kidd is a true crime collection profiling some of Australia’s most dangerous and remorseless criminals—men and women deemed so violent they were sentenced to spend the rest of their lives behind bars. Kidd traces their crimes in detail, from serial murders to acts of shocking brutality, showing how each case pushed the justice system to impose the rare penalty of never allowing parole.
The book combines courtroom drama, police investigation, and psychological portraiture, presenting not just the crimes themselves but also the lives and personalities of those who committed them. Kidd’s style is direct and unflinching, capturing the horror of the offenses while underlining the legal and moral weight of locking someone away forever. It remains a stark reminder of the extremes of human violence and the rare sentences reserved for those society cannot risk freeing.
