How is Probation different from Parole?
Although Probation and Parole officers share similar functions and responsibilities, there is a difference in the population they supervise. Probation is an alternative to incarceration, and though some defendants spend a short period of time in jail at the beginning of their probation sentence, most remain free in the community. Parole officers, on the other hand, supervise individuals who have served a sentence and been released from the state prison system.
