Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs)

	Q. Is probation the same as parole?
A.	Unlike parole, which supervises offenders after their release from incarceration, probation is itself a sentence. It is one of several sentencing options available to judges. In Illinois, probation and parole operate independently. The parole department is under the direction of the state and probation agencies are under the direction of the various circuit courts throughout the state.