The Most Common Parole Violations

Parole can be a welcome reprieve when you have spent years behind bars. You may be ready to rejoin society and relish in the freedom your newly granted parole can offer to you. 

However, your ability to remain free largely will depend on your own actions. You might avoid being sent back to prison by steering clear of common parole violations.

What is a Parole Violation?

When you are released on parole, you will be given a strict set of rules by which to live. These rules can range from staying away from your victims to gaining and keeping gainful employment. They are designed to ensure you are fully rehabilitated, pay your debt to society and can remain a viable and safe part of society while you are out on parole.

When you violate any of the rules under which you are to live while out on parole, you may be subject a number of legal consequences. For example, you may have an arrest warrant issued for you. You also may have to appear before the parole board and find out whether or not you will be sent back to prison to serve out the rest of your original sentence.

When your ultimate goal is to remain out on parole and avoid going back to behind bars, you need to take the terms of your parole seriously. You must make every effort to avoid violating these conditions and putting yourself at risk of being arrested and having to explain yourself to the parole board.

You also may need to resolve to using every legal resource available to you if you ever find yourself accused of and arrested for violating your parole. One of the foremost legal resources you may want to use to your advantage involves hiring an experienced parole violations attorney to represent you.

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Common Examples of Major Parole Violations

Major parole violations will nearly always result in you being arrested and compelled to appear before the parole board to find out if you are going to be sent back to prison. Some of the more common examples of major parole violations include: 

• Committing and being arrested for a new crime
• Not reporting to your parole officer
• Failing a drug test
• Breaking your curfew
• Leaving the city, county or state without the permission of your parole officer
• Failing to obtain and keep a job
• Associating with known criminals and felons
• Using or selling drugs

All of these major types of parole violations can lead to a new arrest warrant being issued for you and you being taken back to jail. You also will have to appear before the parole board to explain your actions and risk being sent back to prison to serve out the rest of your original sentence.

You will not be granted another opportunity to post bail or bond for these violations. You also will not be granted parole after you are sent back to prison to serve your sentence.

Examples of Minor or Technical Parole Violations

You may also find yourself in proverbial hot water if you commit what are deemed to be minor or technical violations of your parole. These minor or technical violations can include:

• Failing a urine drug test
• Missing your curfew by a few minutes
• Being a few minutes late to a meeting with your parole officer

These do break the terms of your parole. However, in comparison to major violations like committing a new crime or associating with known criminals, they are not as serious and may not be entirely sufficient for sending you back to prison. 

Even more, violations like these may not be entirely your fault. For instance, the urine test might have been contaminated and showed a false positive result. Likewise, your taxi or bus might have had to take a detour or ran a few minutes late, forcing you to arrive late to your parole officer meeting.

Nonetheless, your parole officer may take note of these minor violations. If they occur regularly or do not appear to be due to circumstances beyond your control, they could eventually be more than enough for the parole officer to recommend your arrest and have you appear before the parole board.

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What Happens After a Parole Violation? 

After you violate your parole, your parole officer has the leeway of recommending whether or not to have a warrant issued for your arrest. He or she can ask a judge to issue this warrant and have you arrested and taken back to jail.

While you are in jail, you will have to wait for your parole board hearing. This hearing should be granted in a timely manner. However, it still may be a few days while you wait behind bars before your appearance date is scheduled.

When you appear before the parole board, you have the opportunity to explain why you committed the violations. You can also argue that you did not commit them at all and should be released back on to parole.

You have the right to have a lawyer present with you during your parole violations hearing. Your attorney can make your arguments for you and request the board to find in your favor.

However, the parole board has the final say in whether or not you are sent back to prison. It can also release you back out on parole, albeit with modifications to the terms by which you must live. It can likewise find you innocent of the parole violations and release you back on your original parole terms.

Why Hire a Parole Violations Attorney?

An experienced parole violations attorney is a valuable ally to have by your side when you must appear before the parole board. He or she can present evidence and witnesses to back up your claims of being innocent of the violations charges. Your lawyer may be able to convince the parole board to find you innocent and help you avoid being sent back to prison.

Your parole violations attorney may also ask that some or all of the terms of your parole be modified. For example, it may be necessary for you to be a few minutes late on your curfew because of what time you get off work. This modification can ensure you avoid violating the terms of your parole.

Your parole violations lawyer can be instrumental in keeping you out from behind bars and ensuring your continued parole. He or she can present a stronger and more concise argument than what you could present by yourself if you were to appear before the parole board on your own.

Parole violations can put your ability to remain out of prison at risk. They can lead to you being arrested and forced to argue for yourself before the parole board.

Staying clear of any kind of violation of your parole requires you to understand the most common examples that can land you in trouble with your parole officer. You can learn the difference between major parole violations and those that are deemed to be minor or technical violations. You can also hire an experienced parole violations attorney like Greg Tsioros to represent you if you are arrested for any of them.