What is Supervision?
Supervision is a way to monitor the activities and behavior of people released to the community by the federal courts or paroling authorities. The main goals of supervision are to enforce the court's orders, protect the community, and provide treatment and assistance.
In the federal court system, post-convicted persons may fall into three categories of supervision:
- Supervised Release is an additional term of supervision that must be completed immediately after a person completes his or her term of federal custody. In most cases, supervised releasees remain under the authority of their sentencing judge; however, supervised releasees may be assigned a new judge in cases of judicial retirements, transfer of jurisdiction, etc. Violations of supervised release are handled by the United States District Court.
- Probation is an alternative to prison that costs less than incarceration and gives people convicted of federal crimes the opportunity to live with their families, hold jobs, and be productive members of society. Probation is generally a less severe punishment than imprisonment, but still holds people accountable for breaking the law by imposing conditions during the term of probation. In most cases, probationers remain under the authority of their sentencing judge. Violations of probation are handled by the United States District Court.
- Parole applies to: a) persons sentenced in federal court for conduct occurring before November 1, 1987, b) persons sentenced by military courts-martial, or c) persons serving terms of supervised release imposed by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia (under the Sentencing Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2000). Parole is a form of custody served in the community under the supervision of the Probation Office and under the jurisdiction of the United States Parole Commission. Violations of parole are handled by the Parole Commission.
Regardless of the category, persons on supervision are assigned a designated probation officer at the start of their term of supervision. The probation officer works with people on supervision by informing them of what the court expects of them, meeting with them at home and/or work, monitoring their compliance with the conditions the court has set for their release (or probation), and stepping in to assist with providing corrective action, if necessary.
Release (or probation) conditions vary somewhat from case to case; however, people on federal supervision are generally prohibited from possessing guns or other weapons, prohibited from possessing or using illicit drugs, and prohibited from committing any new crimes. In many cases, release (or probation) conditions will restrict travel, impose a curfew (or tether), restrict associations with certain persons, require community service work, mandate lawful employment, and/or require the completion of education. Mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment, and/or cognitive behavioral therapy are also common conditions of release.