What is parole?
Parole lets the offender serve the last part of a sentence in the community supervised by a parole officer. Rather than releasing inmates without controls, parole provides the gradual reintegration on the offender into the community, subject to conditions set by the Parole Board. There are two types of parole: discretionary parole and mandatory parole. (Parole descriptions are from the Handbook for Victims of Crime in Alaska published by the Alaska Judicial Council.
Parole is, in essence, a conditional release from prison. In some cases, a prisoner may be released on parole only when they have served their full sentence. In other situations, a prisoner’s sentence may be cut short and they may receive an early release on parole. Parole allows a prisoner, or parolee, to leave prison and re-enter the community, subject to certain limitations and rules. Parolees who break any of the terms of parole can be sent back to prison for the remainder of their sentence or face other punishment.
