Common phrases:

oBOP: Bureau of PrisonsoDOC: Department of Correction

oPO: Probation or Parole Officer oUSPO: United States Probation Officer
oAUSA: Assistant United States Attorney
Flow of the Criminal Justice System: oCrime is committed
oArrest is made  oPerson is charged with one or more offense(s) by a
prosecutor
 oPerson is released to the community OR remains detained (in custody)
 oPerson is found guilty by a jury/acquitted by the jury OR the person pleads
guilty
oSentencing occurs **If the charges are dropped, the person never pleads guilty
or goes to a trial****At sentencing, a variety of different punishments can be
imposed and are based on thecrime and the person’s background and
characteristics**
If a person receives a probationary sentence, they never serve time in custody. A
person can be sentenced to a term of imprisonment and then have a term of
probation to follow
Parole: early release from prison or jail which allows the person to be in the
community with certain restrictions. While someone is on parole, they are in the
community but still considered an inmate**There is no parole in the federal
system**
Prison vs. Jail:
oJail is for short periods of time
oPrison is for longer periods of time
While on supervision, whether parole or probation, an individual has a set of
conditions, set by the judge, that they must follow. If the individual does not follow
the conditions, they are in violation of the conditions and the Judge can impose a
new sentence, additional conditions or add time to their supervision term
Examples of conditions of supervision:oCurfewoDrug testingoMental health
treatment
oDrug treatment
oElectronic monitoring
oNo contact with children under the age of 16
oDo not travel out of the state without permission
Misdemeanor offense has a penalty of one year or less in prison
Felony offense has a penalty of one year or more in prison Violent crime:
typically, an offense that is against another person. Examples are murder,
homicide, rape, child sexual abuse, assault, etc. Nonviolent crime: typically,
against property. Examples are burglary, vehicular theft, embezzlement, fraud,
forgery, larceny, etc.
Recidivist: an individual with more than one conviction. The main goal of
supervision is to help reduce recidivism by assisting individuals with reintegrating
into the community and not returning to criminal conduct
First time offender: an individual who is appearing before the Court but has no
prior criminal record.
Career offender: an individual who earns their living from the crimes they
commit, and their criminal activity has become the craft in which they support
themselves and sometimes their families. Example of this is a drug dealer who
makes money and then is arrested, receives a sentence, returns to the community
and continues to engage in the same criminal activity as thatis all they know and
have made their life’s work out of committing crime Situational offender: may
commit a serious crime or petty offense, based on the situation. Example of this is
someone seeing an unlocked vehicle that has a brand-new phone in the console.
The situation presented itself and the person stole the phone