Parole
The release of a prison inmate – formerly granted by the U.S. Parole Commission – after the inmate has completed part of their sentence in a federal prison. When the parolee is released to the community, they are placed under the supervision of a U.S. probation officer. The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 abolished parole in favor of a determinate sentencing system in which the sentence is set by sentencing guidelines. Now, without the option of parole, the term of imprisonment the court imposes is the actual time the person spends in prison.