What's the difference between parole and probation?

Question

What's the difference between parole and probation?

Answer 1

Probation is what you are sentenced to when you commit a crime and go to court. They can give you probation with a suspended sentence. You will have to do certain things like not have a dirty urine keep a job or go to school etc.

If you fail to do those you go back to court and the judge can send you to jail or give you probation again

Parole is what you get when you are serving time and if you are doing well and go before the board they can give you parole which means they let you out of jail and you have to follow certain restrictyions. If you fail to do that then you go right back to jail to finish doing your time.

Answer 2

At least in Ohio, you can be put on parole after you've served your prison sentence whereas probation is served instead of prison time.  The conditions are very similar yet of course each person's conditions are different!

Answer 3

Hello Moona. I will give a slightly different explanation. Probation is granted by a Judge in place of serving the sentence in jail/prison. Probation can be granted for either a misdemeanor or a felony. This is done in the courtroom at the sentencing stage.

Parole is granted by the Adult Parole Authority through the prison system. This is done for convicted felons only ( misdemeanors cannot serve time in prison, only in jails). Parole is granted when a felon has met certain criteria while incarcerated and is now deemed to be rehabilitated enough to exist within society under supervision for the remainder of the sentence ( or the specified time of the parole).

I hope this helps and you can find it useful