What is the difference between Probation and Parole?
Probation is a sentence that allows the offender to be released into the community in lieu of prison under conditions ordered by the judge. A probation officer or the court monitors compliance with the conditions of probation. If the offender violates a condition of probation, the judge may revoke probation and send the offender to prison. Parole is a release from prison prior to the maximum prison term. Offenders who are released on parole are subject to strict conditions established by the Board of Pardons and Parole and are monitored by a parole officer. If the offender violates a condition of parole, the Board of Pardons and Parole may revoke the parole status and order that the offender return to prison. Probation and parole are both conditional releases into the community. However, probation is imposed at sentencing by a judge and parole is imposed by the Board of Pardons and Parole after an offender has already served a prison term.
Probation refers to court supervision instead of, or prior to, incarceration, while Parole is supervision of offenders who have been released from a prison incarceration. Parole supervision is completely separate from Probation supervision, although in some cases, a person could be on Parole and Probation at the same time for different cases.
Probation is a type of criminal sentence that allows a person to stay in the community rather than serve time in prison, as long as he or she complies with certain conditions, such as regularly reporting to a probation officer, refraining from alcohol and drugs and not committing further crimes. Parole is the supervised release of a prisoner from incarceration into the community before the end of his or her sentence. Conditions of parole are similar to those of probation.
Probation is a criminal sentence; parole is one way of completing a criminal sentence of incarceration. In most jurisdictions, first-time offenders are considered for probation, particularly if their offense was nonviolent. A person placed on probation is typically given a jail or prison sentence that is suspended as long as the person abides by the terms and conditions of probation. Common terms require the person to contact a probation officer once a week and to work, go to school, or look for work. Other terms can include required attendance at alcohol treatment or narcotic-abuse programs and educational classes on such subjects as anger management or good driving. The length of probation and its terms are enumerated at the sentencing and once the person has completed the terms of probation, he or she is free of court supervision. Typically, an offender has been sentenced to an indeterminate or range of years in prison. After the offender has served the minimum amount of time author
