Federal Parole
Congress abolished federal parole decades ago. (State governments still have their own parole systems.) But there are still ways for federal prisoners to get out of custody without serving their entire prison sentences, and methods for the government to supervise them as they transition back into society.
Much in the way that probation and parole are fundamentally different in state court, probation and supervised release are distinct in the federal system.
Under the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, Congress eliminated parole for federal prisoners convicted of crimes committed on or after November 1, 1987. But the U.S. Parole Commission still exists. What is its current role?
In the federal system, supervised release (sometimes also called special or mandatory parole) is a preliminary period of restricted freedom for recently released prisoners.
What does "time off for good behavior" mean? How much do you get off in the federal system?
Probation and supervised release are similar yet distinct ways that federal courts supervise people convicted of crime. Probation is an alternative to prison time, while supervised release follows prison time. These forms of supervision carry conditions that offenders must abide by. (For much more, see
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