What’s The Difference Between Parole and Probation?

If you’ve been arrested, you are probably worried about the possibility of going to prison. Well, depending on what crime you’ve committed, that is something to be worried about. But rest assured, prison is not the only option for you.

Parole and probation are alternatives to incarceration that allow the accused a supervised and strict opportunity to avoid going to prison. Even though the accused would be subject to warrantless searches without probable cause, it’s better than living in a prison cell. The two options are concerned with the defendant breaking their bad habits and offer a strong rehabilitation component.

Probation usually occurs either before or instead of a prison sentence. If you receive probation, your sentence can range from one to ten years. You are only awarded probation if the judge assigned to your case believes you deserve the opportunity to rehabilitate yourself and your behavior. If you prove you are rehabilitated by following all of the judge’s instructions, then you can avoid any prison time at all. If not, you will be sent to a prison to finish out the rest of your sentence, or even possibly be given a brand new sentence that adds more time than you originally had. Probation has a set of conditions each defendant needs to follow:

• Curfew rules
• Rehabilitation program participation
• Frequent drug testing

While on probably, the defendant can be ordered to pay court costs, restitution and any court-appointed attorney fees. The court is the one who decides your sentence and conditions.

You may be thinking parole works the same way. This is not the case. Parole, as opposed to probation, is an early release from prison instead of a way to completely avoid it. Parole allows you to leave prison before you were scheduled to, for reasons such as good behavior, and move into a halfway house. Parole helps you to integrate yourself back into a society you hadn’t been a part of for some time. There are still necessary conditions, but instead of them being set by the court, they are set by a parole board. This means they are basically the same for all parolees. Also, parole is not necessarily as short as probation. The cap on parole tends to follow the sentence. So if you were in prison for ten years, the parole is usually on and off ten years as well.

If you have been arrested, though, the first thing you should worry about is not parole vs. probation vs. prison. It should be how can you get out of jail fast enough to start planning any legal necessities. The answer is with a bail bondsman. A bail bondsman can help you pay your bail and get you to court.

If you or a loved one is in need of a bail bondsman, contact Andrew Pizzo Bail Bonds today.