For many who have been convicted of a crime, parole offers major opportunities such as starting a new life outside of jail, getting back to work, and being with family after incarceration. Those opportunities, however, can be lost if the parolee violates the conditions of the parole as set forth by a Parole Board.
Last week we discussed what parole and parole conditions mean in the legal community. Today, we are exploring what the most common parole violations are and what the consequences could be for violations of this type.
Common Parole Violations
As a quick review, someone who has been convicted of a crime and has served a portion of their sentence in jail may be eligible for parole, based upon the amount of time served and the type of crime they were convicted of. For those that do qualify, a Parole Board will examine the case and determine certain conditions of release.
Those conditions of release most often include a regular visit to a Parole Officer who is responsible for making sure the parolee understands the terms of release and what conditions must be met to continue on with parole.
Unfortunately, if conditions are not abided by, a parolee may end up back in prison fulfilling the remainder of their time.
Some of the most common parole violations include:
- Failure to report to an assigned probation officer
- Failure to report moving or leaving the geographic area without permission
- Failing to take or pass a drug test
- Contacting victims or victims’ families when specified not to do this
- Breaking curfew
- Arrest for a new crime
- Failure to find work after jail time as a condition of parole
Violations of these conditions can be seen as either major or minor. For instance, using alcohol while on parole when it was prohibited may be a minor offense and result in stricter conditions or more frequent check-ins with a parole officer. However, more serious or major violations to probation such as committing a new crime or approaching victims or victims’ family members could result in revocation of parole and a return to jail.
Overall, penalties for violating parole could result in;
- full revocation of parole, which includes returning to jail for the remainder of the sentence;
- partial revocation, which includes a short period of jail time with the possibility of getting back out on parole;
- a fine or administrative fee;
- more jail time in the case of a new crime, or
- more stringent conditions placed on the parolee.
For more information on parole conditions and what you can expect in your specific case contact Patrick Conway Law.