parole
n. uncountablen. the early release of a prisoner before their sentence is finished. The person must follow certain rules and stay out of trouble to remain free.
n. the conditional release of a prisoner before the full sentence is served, contingent upon good behaviour and periodic reporting to authorities.
He was released on parole after serving five years.
The board granted her parole because she showed genuine remorse and had a clean record in prison.
Legal experts argue that the parole system provides a necessary incentive for rehabilitation, though critics often worry about the risks of recidivism among those released early.
Borrowed from Middle French parole (“word, formal promise”), from Old French parole, from Late Latin parabola (“speech”), from Ancient Greek παραβολή (parabolḗ). Doublet of parabola, parable, and palaver.
Commonly used with the preposition 'on' ('on parole') or as the object of the verbs 'grant', 'deny', or 'seek'.