Probation and Parole Programs

Individuals who are unfamiliar with the criminal justice system may think that a convicted criminal is sentenced to a certain period of time in prison and when released has paid his -- or her -- debt to society in full and is as free as anyone without a criminal record. However, in most cases, prisoners released from jail or prison are sentenced to additional time on probation or parole as a sort of transitional phase in their lives during which they have a much higher level of supervision than does the ordinary individual. This period of time is -- ideally -- one in which each individual can make a smooth transition back to ordinary civilian life while at the same time posing a reduced risk to public safety.

A few basic definitions will be useful at this point. While "probation" and "parole" are parallel terms, they...
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