Delaware County Parole Violations Lawyer

After you have been convicted of a crime and served your time, you still may be subject to the conditions of parole upon on your release. While parole conditions vary, they generally set many requirements for you that you must meet or risk returning to incarceration. If you are accused of a parole violation, you are likely to need the assistance of a Delaware County parole violations lawyer.

Returning to your community, finding a place to live, finding a job, and regaining stability in your life are not easy tasks after you have been convicted of a crime. You may face various obstacles in achieving your goals, which can lead to allegations that you have violated your conditions of parole. A criminal defense lawyer may be able to assess your situation and help defend you against accusations of parole violations.

Types of Parole Violations

After individuals have served at least their minimum sentences for their criminal convictions, they may become eligible for parole. If the parole board releases persons on parole, they assign them a parole officer, who puts certain parole conditions into place. When individuals fail to meet those conditions or requirements, they could face parole violation proceedings.

Parole conditions vary with each case, but most individuals must meet regularly with a parole officer, keep the officer apprised of any changes in contact information, address, or employment, and remain in a specific city, county, or general geographic area. In many cases, individuals also must make payments on court-ordered fines, fees, or restitution, obtain and maintain employment, and complete community service hours, engage in substance abuse counseling, or other forms of treatment that are unique to their circumstances. Many parolees also are subject to random drug and alcohol testing at the direction of their parole officers.

The point of parole and subjecting parolees to these conditions is to help them transition back into society, often after being incarcerated for a lengthy period. If parole officers allege that individuals have violated their parole conditions, however, the consequences can be severe, including a return to prison. This situation may necessitate the involvement of a parole violations lawyer in Delaware County.

Penalties for Delaware County Parole Violations

If individuals violate a parole condition, the parole officer may give them a warning, especially if it is a first violation or a minor violation. In this case, parole continues as it did before the violation. However, if the parole officer determines that individuals have committed a more severe parole violation, they can file a notice of a violation with the court, and it will be up to the judge to determine any sanctions.

The sentencing judge from the original criminal case decides whether individuals have committed a parole violation and the nature of the resulting penalties. If the judge opts to let individuals remain on parole, they may first have to serve a few days in county jail. After that, they may be subject to additional parole restrictions.

Alternatively, judges who have found that individuals committed parole violations can send them to a Parole Violator Center, where they must complete various programs within a certain amount of time or return to prison. Judges also may determine, particularly in the case of major or multiple violations, that the parolees should return to prison and begin serving the remainder of their sentences. A knowledgeable attorney in Delaware County may be able to assist individuals facing parole violations to achieve the most favorable outcome possible.

How a Delaware County Parole Violations Attorney Can Help

Parole can be a difficult transition for many individuals, and sometimes things go wrong. If you are in this situation, you are likely to need advocacy on your behalf from legal counsel who truly understands your difficult situation. A Delaware County parole violations lawyer may be able to defend you against allegations that you have violated parole and work toward the most appropriate resolution to your case.

When a parole officer accuses you of violating your parole, you may feel like giving up and just returning to prison. A parole violation, however, does not have to ruin the progress that you have made. By getting legal advice, you may put yourself in a better position to protect your freedom.