If you’ve been convicted of a criminal offense, then prison time may form part of your sentence. In some circumstances, you may be granted a conditional release before your sentence was set to be complete, but you will be on parole.
Importantly, parole does not come without conditions. There may be certain restrictions placed on you. What are some of the more common parole conditions?
Meeting with your parole officer
Upon your release, you will be assigned to the supervision of a parole officer. This person is tasked with ensuring that you abide by your parole conditions. You’ll be expected to meet with them and report your progress or concerns. Failure to attend meetings with your parole officer will be a violation of the court’s orders, and the court may end up sending you back to prison.
Limits to your movements
The court may subject you to certain geographical restrictions too. You may only be allowed to live within a designated area and not travel to other parts of town or associate with certain people. Law enforcement may also be permitted to search your residence and person at certain times. Any refusal to comply with these conditions could result in penalties, including returning to prison.
Legal compliance
When you’re on parole you are not permitted to break the law in any way. You are likely to be subjected to harsher penalties, given the original crime for which you were convicted. Not all parole violations are intentional or avoidable. For this reason, it is important to seek legal guidance if you have been accused not complying with restrictions placed on you by the court.