Know the terms of parole so you don’t violate them

Being incarcerated is something disheartening for the person who is going to serve time. There are some instances in which the time in prison is shortened. If the person is approved for parole, he or she would only serve part of the sentence in prison. The rest of the sentence would be carried out under a community supervision program.

When you are on parole, you have to comply with some very specific terms. These conditions are outlined for you clearly. In many cases, you will get a written copy of all the terms. You have to make sure that you understand these. If you don’t comply with all of the terms, your parole officer might decide that you have violated your parole.

A parole violation charge is very serious. You can be sent back to prison if the person hearing the parole violation case finds that you violated the terms of parole in such a manner that proves you can’t be trusted to comply with them from here on out. This could mean that you spend the rest of your sentence locked in prison.

You must remember that when you are facing a parole violation charge, you aren’t afforded the right to a jury trial. Instead, you will stand before a parole or hearing officer, or possibly a judge, who will determine if there is enough evidence to revoke your parole.

At the hearing, you need to be sure that you present your side of the case. Your defense could help determine the actual outcome of the hearing, so you must carefully consider what you are going to do.

Source: FindLaw, “Parole Violation,” accessed Oct. 05, 2017