Probation

Probation represents a judicial disposition available within the federal judicial system. As a penal alternative, rather than committing an individual to a correctional institution, the judicial authority permits the person's return to or presence within the general populace. This alternative to incarceration mandates that the individual undergo a defined duration of oversight, supervised by an official from the United States probation service, and requires adherence to specific stipulations or prescribed rules set forth by the court.