Parole is a legal term that refers to the conditional release of prisoners before they complete their sentence. Paroled prisoners are supervised by a public official, usually called a parole officer, and are required to follow certain conditions, such as getting and keeping a job, avoiding drugs and alcohol, avoiding their victims, not committing any crimes, and reporting regularly to their parole officer. If a paroled prisoner violates the conditions of their release, they may be returned to prison.
Parole differs from pardon, amnesty, or commutation of sentence in that parolees are still considered to be serving their sentences and may be returned to prison if they violate the conditions of their parole. Parole is an option for most prisoners, but it is not guaranteed, particularly for prisoners serving life or indeterminate sentences.
When a court sentences an offender to prison, it may structure the sentence in two parts: an initial non-parole period, which the prisoner must serve in prison, and a second part of the sentence, during which the prisoner is eligible for release on parole to serve the remainder of the sentence in the community subject to conditions and under supervision.
Parole law varies by state, and authorities retain the discretion to deny parole to prisoners they deem dangerous. The US Department of Justice defines parole as "the agreement of persons who have been taken prisoner by an enemy that they will not again take up arms against those who captured them, either for a limited time or during the continuance of the war".
