Sometimes a defendant is sentenced to a lighter sentence, such as community service, probation (a period of time in which the defendant must not do anything wrong, or he will be sent to prison), or time already spent in jail. Jails and community treatment programs are run by cities and counties. Prisons are run by the state and federal governments, and people serving their sentences in prisons are called inmates. Each state also has its own prison and correctional system.If a person exhibits good behavior, she may be allowed to leave before her full sentence is served. She is released on parole, and is assigned to a parole officer who supervises her for an agreed upon period of time. A person who is free from jail on parole is called a parolee. A parolee has certain restrictions and requirements she must live up to, and must report to her parole officer at regularly scheduled intervals. Failure to meet the requirements of her parole can lead to a return to prison.
