Probation and Parole: A Comparative View

Probation and parole are the primary alternatives to jails and prisons while there are many similarities between these two systems there are a few obvious differences. One difference is evident in their definitions. Probation is defined as "releasing the convicted offenders into the community under a conditional suspended sentence, avoiding imprisonment, showing good behavior under the supervision of a probation officer" (Black, 1990:1202 cited in Champion, 2005, p. 131). Parole is defined as "the conditional release of a …

…their behavior rather than subjecting them to more criminal behavior. References: Black, H. C. (1990). Black's Law Dictionary (6th Ed.). St. Paul, MN: West. Champion, D. J. (2005). Probation, Parole, and Community Corrections (5th Ed.). Upper <Tab/> <Tab/>Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. McKean, L. and Raphael, J. (2002). Drugs, Crime and Consequences: Arrests and <Tab/>Incarceration in North Lawndale. Chicago: Center for Impact Research.