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AAP
AAP
National
Neve Brissenden

SA parole rules set to tighten for accomplices

Mark Haydon was convicted and jailed for his role as an accomplice in the Snowtown murders. (Tom Miletic/AAP PHOTOS)

Snowtown murders accomplice Mark Haydon's freedom could be curbed as the South Australian parliament considers new parole laws.

New legislation has been introduced designed to widen the definition of a high-risk offender to include those convicted of assisting an offender.

Mark Ray Haydon was convicted for his role as an accomplice in the "bodies in the barrel" murders and is due for release on May 21 after serving his 25-year sentence, including an 18-year non-parole period.

Current laws mean he will not be under supervision when he is released.

The SA parliament will debate the proposed changes on Tuesday, designed to enforce parole-like conditions on offenders such as Haydon.

SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said the government is working hard to protect victims of crime.

"My government places the highest priority on keeping the community safe, and securing justice for crime victims," he said.

"One of the first pieces of legislation upon coming to government was to criminalise concealing or interfering with human remains."

Last month the government announced new laws designed to ensure repeat child sex offenders will face indefinite imprisonment and lifetime electronic monitoring.

Attorney-General Kyam Maher said the new laws would allow the government to apply for parole conditions as long as the Supreme Court agrees.

"The change we are pursuing to the law today will allow the courts to extend these provisions to monitor those who help these offenders cover up their vile crimes," he said.

Haydon was jailed for at least 18 years for assisting John Bunting and Robert Wagner in seven of the 11 Snowtown killings.

Bunting was convicted of 11 counts of murder and Wagner 10.

Both are serving life sentences with no chance of parole.

Their murder spree included eight people whose dismembered bodies were found in acid-filled barrels in the vault of a disused bank in Snowtown, north of Adelaide, in 1999.

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