Parole is defined as a period of conditional supervision within the community following release from a prison term. This is in contrast to probation, which also includes conditional supervision within the community but typically serves as an alternative to incarceration. In other words, parole involves community supervision after serving a prison sentence, whereas probation involves
Parole is the conditional release of a prisoner who has not served out a full sentence. A long-standing practice of the U.S. justice system, parole is granted for a variety of reasons, including the “good behavior” of a prisoner, as well as overcrowding in prisons. Prisoners on parole, or parolees, are assigned to a parole
Parole decisions have important implications. For prisoners, such decisions mean early release or define the conditions of release. For the public, prisoner reentry raises concerns about safety and community integration. Despite waning enthusiasm for rehabilitation in some countries, by using advances in risk assessment and by partnering with correctional agencies, parole is ideally situated to