Parole

Parole is the conditional release of a person from prison before a sentence ends, subject to supervision and rules. A violation can lead to renewed confinement.

Parole board: A public body that decides whether eligible prisoners may be released on parole and may set release conditions. In discretionary systems, the board assesses release and can impose conditions.
Probation: A court-ordered period of supervision in the community, often imposed instead of incarceration. Probation usually begins as a sentence, while parole follows time served in prison.
Alexander Maconochie: A British naval officer and prison reformer who developed a progressive system of prison discipline on Norfolk Island. His mark system helped shape later ideas of earned progress toward release.
Reentry: The process of returning to community life after incarceration. Parole supervision is one structured route through reentry after prison.
Prison overcrowding: A condition in which a prison holds more people than its intended or safe capacity. Earlier releases can reduce prison populations, though effects depend on eligibility and policy.
Parole officer: An official who supervises people on parole and monitors compliance with release conditions. Officers oversee people in the community and report possible violations.
Mandatory release: Release from prison required by law after a person serves a specified portion of a sentence. Unlike discretionary parole, mandatory release follows statutory rules rather than a board's approval.
Walter Crofton: An Irish prison administrator who developed a staged system of imprisonment and supervised release in the nineteenth century. His Irish system included a period of supervised release that influenced parole practice.
Recidivism: The recurrence of criminal behavior, often measured through rearrest, reconviction, or return to prison. Parole policies are often assessed by their relationship to reoffending and reincarceration.
Indeterminate sentence: A prison sentence with a range of possible lengths, often subject to release decisions based on time served or progress. Parole boards historically helped determine release within indeterminate sentence ranges.

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