Were you recently arrested for a
criminal offense? If so, you will soon be learning about the differences between probation
and parole. Not only are we going to explain the differences between the
two, we are also going to explain how pardons work.
What is probation? With probation, adult offenders are released back into community by the
court. These individuals are supervised through a probation agency, usually
in lieu of incarceration.
Some jurisdictions do, however, have probationers combine a short-term
period of incarceration, followed immediately by probation – this
is referred to as a “split sentence.”
There are different levels of probation; for instance, sometimes a probationer
is required to report regularly in person, by mail, or by telephone. Other
times, probationers are excluded from reporting regularly. This often
occurs when the offense was rather minor.
What is parole? Parole refers to when offenders are released from prison to serve out the
remainder of their sentence in the community, with conditions. A prisoner
may be released to parole because of a parole board’s decision,
or because of provisions under a state statute (mandatory release or parole).
Much like probation, a parolee may be required to report regularly in person,
by mail, or by phone. Other times, he or she may be required to report
infrequently. Parolees are expected to complete certain conditions, and
they must adhere to specific rules of conduct while they are released
back into the community. If a parolee violates
any of their conditions of parole, they may be sent back to prison.
What is a pardon? It is an action of an executive official such as a governor or the president
that sets aside or mitigates the punishment for a crime. When an offender
is granted a pardon, he or she is forgiven and their civil rights are
restored. On the state level, the governor or a pardon board has the power
to grant a pardon, and on the federal level, the president has the right
to grant a pardon.
Contact
Carlson & Collier to work with a Richmond criminal defense attorney. We are rated
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