Parole is the provisional liberation of a prisoner before completing their prison term so long as they agree to comply with specific requirements. Parole prisoners are normally monitored, and if the prisoner violates the set agreement, they are taken back to prison. For example, parole prisoners may be restricted to certain conditions such as avoiding alcohol, substance abuse, committing a crime, keeping a job, and avoiding their victims (Burke et al., 2019). Probation is a court-imposed criminal sentence that follows specific requirements and restrictions whereby a convicted criminal is released instead of confined to prison or jail (Burke et al., 2019). The convicted criminal defendant is subjected to the stated requirements and restrictions.
The following are the major differences between parole and probation. Firstly, probation is passed by the judge during the trial and maybe enacted instead of imprisonment or combined with some imprisonment. During the probation period, the judge specifies the restrictions on the criminal defendants regarding activities that one should not associate (Burke et al., 2019). On the other hand, parole is enacted by the parole board once the criminal defendant has served for long or sometimes (Burke et al., 2019).
Before the criminal defendant is granted parole, the parole board considers factors such as their habits while in prison and rehabilitation level. The criminal defendant is subjected to restrictions of activities imposed by the parole board during the parole period. Secondly, probation is part of the sentence made by the judge (Burke et al., 2019). Conversely, parole comes after the offender has spent some time in prison.
Parole guidelines include activities that are considered before discretion is made. These factors include risk assessment and parole guidance score. With risk assessment, the static and dynamic characteristics are considered (Burke et al., 2019). The static factors include the admissions to correctional facilities, prior incarcerations, offense commitment, and employment history. The dynamic factors include gang membership, age, prison custody level, and conduct. With parole guidance score, the offender’s probability of success is evaluated (Burke et al., 2019). These factors structure discretion in that they determine the performance of the offenders in the community.
References
Burke, A., Carter, D., Fedorek, B., Morey, T., Rutz-Burri, L., & Sanchez, S. (2019). Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System. Open Oregon Educational Resources.