What Does Life on Parole Mean?

You have probably familiar with the concept of parole. Chances are, you have also come across someone serving their sentence on parole, as well (but you may not have known it). Basically, parole means releasing the prisoner into the community before his or her actual sentence is completed, provided that the prisoner agrees to certain terms and conditions as prescribed by the parole board. As long as they adhere to the law and follow all the rules, the parolees can complete the rest of their sentences while living on the outside.

While life on parole is certainly a lot better than life in prison, it is certainly not without limitations. Parole is only granted to inmates who have completed at least the minimum amount of their sentence and have demonstrated ideal behavior during their time in prison. After acquiring parole, parolees still have to follow strict rules in order to maintain their parole. Any violation of any law in any jurisdiction during their time on parole can send them back to prison.

Life on Parole is Quite Limited

The parolees always have to report to their parole officer during their parole term. They have to allow this officer to visit them at their place of residence, employment, or anywhere else at any time as may be necessary for the officer to perform their duty. The person on parole cannot keep a firearm or other weapons with themselves and they are only allowed to reside in buildings that are approved for parolees by the authorities. This means that while on parole, they cannot live in their own place or with their family.

For a normal person, using a computer or an internet connected device might not be that much of a big deal, but a parolee is required to acquire permission from the department before they can use any type of device. Also, a parolee cannot leave the state of Illinois unless absolutely imperative. For that too, they will have to acquire the permission from the department. Furthermore, in case the parolee decides to take on a new employment opportunity, they will have to address and inform their parole officer beforehand.

A person on parole may feel at a certain point that their privacy is seriously undermined as the authorities can conduct random searches of their residence and things in their possession. The parolees cannot question it. Moreover, while on parole, a parolee cannot knowingly interact with other parolees as doing so may be counted as a violation of law. Besides that, the board can also require the parolee to enroll in a course of study to acquire skills that may be useful for them after they are released.

The Purpose of Parole

One of the major purposes of parole is to enable the inmates to adjust well to the community after their sentence is complete and they are released. Prisoners work together with their parole officers so that they can acquire employment and are able to sustain themselves upon release. For inmates, who are used to the life of prison, adjusting back into society is extremely difficult, just like it is extremely difficult for people to adjust to prison at first. This is especially true for who have served long sentences.

Parole serves as an opportunity for such prisoners to readjust and provides them a chance to live a normal life. Through a careful parole process, authorities can make sure that the community members are safe while enabling prisoners to adjust back to a normal life while lowering their likelihood of committing the offense again. If you need further help with legal processes regarding parole, consult David Freidberg Attorney at Law at 312-560-7100.

(image courtesy of mingyue-sun)