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Probation and Parole

Probation is a prison sentence that is suspended on the condition that the offender follow certain prescribed rules and commit no further crimes. Today, probation is a federal, state, and local activity administered by more than 2,000 separate agencies, with nearly 4 million adult offenders under supervision. (Seiter 2014)

Parole, both a procedure by which a board administratively releases inmates from prison as well as a provision for post-release supervision, comes from the French word parol, referring to "word," as in giving one's word of honor or promise.

The research highlighted on this page covers a range of probation and parole related, corrections topics from supervision and sanctions to special offenders and electronic monitoring. Additional resources on Evidence-Based Practices used in probation can be found here: Evidence-Based Practices.

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