Cyenna Diane Allimain Grace-Ngaro, 25, appeared before the Parole Board for the first time last month but was "not ready for realistic consideration" of release, panel convener Judge Arthur Tompkins said.
The Christchurch Women’s Prison inmate, who is serving a term of two years and three months, had been wait-listed for two programmes but had not started her rehabilitation.
Grace-Ngaro was sentenced in the Dunedin District Court in June after pleading guilty to assault in a family relationship, disqualified driving and refusing a compulsory impairment test.
On October 12, while on bail for beating up her ex-boyfriend, she was smoking cannabis with her new partner.
When he went to bed she took the keys to his Toyota Camry and set off towards the city centre.
CCTV captured the defendant driving the wrong way round the Octagon, exiting at lower Stuart St in the wrong lane.
Grace-Ngaro shot through a set of lights at 73kmh and narrowly avoided a collision as she continued through the intersection with State Highway 1 (Cumberland St) on a red light.
At the next junction, she turned left instead of right on the one-way south SH1 system at Castle St at 76kmh, slamming into the victim who was waiting at the traffic lights outside the Dunedin Railway Station.
"The victim was thrown through the air, repeatedly somersaulting before landing approximately 30m away from where he was first struck by the defendant," court documents said.
The defendant was walking away from the scene when a bystander stalled her until police arrived.
The court heard the victim underwent surgery to save his leg from amputation and doctors said the injuries would "likely be carried by him for the rest of his life".
Grace-Ngaro was scheduled to undertake alcohol and drug treatment while behind bars and it was also recommended she undertake a group programme which targets offenders’ attitudes.
However, the Parole Board heard there were concerns about her ability to participate in treatment alongside other prisoners.
Judge Tompkins ordered a psychological report to be completed before Grace-Ngaro’s next hearing in February.
