What Happens If You Violate Your Probation or Parole?

Both probation and parole are serious matters under the law. If you violate your probation or parole, you will be subject to whatever penalties the judge and your parole or probation officer deems necessary. The penalties will vary depending on the original crime you committed, the extent of the violation, your past record on parole or probation and, quite frankly, the mood of the judge or officer.

When you violate parole, you're breaking the agreement that got you released from prison. Whether you served five years or fifty, the courts are not going to let you have your freedom if you can't abide by the conditions of your release. This is considered a larger infringement than violating your probation, but both are punishable by a wide variety of consequences.

Return to Prison

If you violate your parole, the courts can send you back to prison to serve the remainder of your sentence. For example, if you were sentenced to 5-7 years in a minimum security prison, and you were released after five, a violation could send you back for the remaining two years.

Prison Sentence

When you violate probation, you are risking being sent to prison rather than serving out your probation and just paying your fines. Probation means that the courts found you capable of maintaining your freedom and abstaining from whatever activities were prohibited as a condition. When you violate those conditions, the courts may find you unfit to remain in society and send you to jail.

Closer Supervision

Another possibility when you violate parole or probation is for the courts to order closer supervision of your activities. This might mean that the officer assigned to you will show up for random checks more frequently, or you could be required to wear an electronic monitoring device. Either way, this is not something you want to have happen.

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