Parole is the early conditional release of a prisoner from a correctional facility while still serving a sentence. The terms of the prisoner’s release may include specific qualifications to maintain eligibility for probation. Parole differs from probation and commutation of sentence. Early release may be granted for a variety of reasons, and depending on local laws and customs, early release may come with a varying amount of supervision. In some countries, this program is used to release a prisoner who needs medical care that cannot be provided within the confines of a prison.
In the field of criminal justice, parole is a term used for the early conditional release of a prisoner from a correctional facility while still serving a sentence. The terms of the prisoner’s release may include specific qualifications to maintain eligibility for probation. This is called a parole plan. In some cases, these qualifications include avoiding alcohol or drugs, staying in contact with a probation officer, or finding a suitable job. Prisoners released under this program are called probation.
Parole is sometimes confused with probation or commutation of sentence. Parole differs from probation in that it is an early release from prison, while probation is the close supervision of a convicted felon who has not been incarcerated. Commutation of sentence means that an individual is considered to have served their full sentence but still has a criminal record.
Early release of inmates from a correctional facility was first conceived by Alexander Maconochie in 1840. As superintendent of the English penal colonies in Australia, Maconochie was looking for a method to help prisoners prepare for their return to normal society. He developed a three tier system that allowed prisoners to gain their controlled freedom. This freedom was conditional on the behavior of the probation holder, and violation of the terms of release resulted in the individual being returned to prison.
Depending on local laws and customs, early release may be granted for a variety of reasons. A parolee may be granted early release from prison based on good behavior, humanitarian efforts, or other factors that influence a parole board’s decision. These early release programs also come with a varying amount of supervision as some probation prisoners have very few restrictions while other people are required to meet strict guidelines to maintain their release.
In some countries, this program is used to release a prisoner who needs medical care that cannot be provided within the confines of a prison. This type of release program is sometimes called compassionate release or medical probation. This type of early release program is also used by some countries to effectively ban political prisoners from a country. In these cases, the probation clauses may state that the prisoner has been granted the freedom to seek medical treatment abroad on the condition that he does not return to the country. An example of this method is the Chinese government’s release of political dissident, Ngawang Chophel, in 2002 from Chengdu prison.
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