U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services System in the context of "United States federal probation and supervised release"

⭐ In the context of United States federal sentencing, the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services System is responsible for administering both probation and supervised release. What fundamentally distinguishes supervised release from probation?

Probation is utilized as an alternative to incarceration or alongside home detention, meaning it can prevent imprisonment altogether, whereas supervised release is always imposed *in addition* to a prison sentence as a period of monitoring after release.


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⭐ Core Definition: U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services System

The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services System, also called the Office of Probation and Pretrial Services, part of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, is the probation office of the federal judiciary of the United States. It serves the United States district courts in all 94 federal judicial districts nationwide and constitutes the community corrections arm of the Federal Judiciary. It administers probation and supervised release under United States federal law enforced by probation officers.

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👉 U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services System in the context of United States federal probation and supervised release

United States federal probation and supervised release are imposed at sentencing. The difference between probation and supervised release is that the former is imposed as a substitute for imprisonment, or in addition to home detention, while the latter is imposed in addition to imprisonment. Probation and supervised release are both administered by the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services System. Federal probation has existed since 1909, while supervised release has only existed since 1987, when it replaced federal parole as a means for imposing supervision following release from prison.

More than 8 in 10 offenders sentenced to federal prison also undergo court-ordered supervised release. In 2015, approximately 115,000 offenders were serving supervised release, with these offenders spending an average of four years under supervision.

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⭐ Core Definition: U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services System
👉 U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services System in the context of United States federal probation and supervised release