About probation and parole violations
Probation violations
When someone is court ordered to probation — by a judge — they will have certain conditions that need to completed while under supervision. These conditions can include a variety of things such as substance abuse testing and counseling or staying law abiding, all with a focus on helping someone move forward with their life in a meaningful and productive way. However, if a client does not meet their court-ordered conditions, or if they are found guilty of committing another crime, they may receive a probation violation, depending on the type of supervision they are on and the severity of the offense.
A violation can result in a Judge revoking supervision, thus requiring someone to serve out the remainder of their sentence in custody. However, Judges, Probation Officers, and others in the justice system do not want this if there are other options. For that reason, a Judge may extend someone’s supervision, or issue an alternative punishment for the violation.
There are two ways a client might be brought to court for a violation, one is using a summons, or a letter giving a new court date. The other is through a warrant. This dashboard includes violations submitted with a summons and a warrant.
Parole violations
When someone is released from state prison, after serving two-thirds of their sentence, they will be placed on parole, or supervised release for the remainder of their sentence. While on parole, clients need to comply with conditions that have been set by the Minnesota Department of Corrections. Similar to probation condition, these are focused on helping someone move forward with their life in a meaningful and productive way. If a client violates a condition of release than an agent — often known as a probation officer — can restructure a parole violation or request a warrant, which are approved and granted by the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
This dashboard only includes violations for when a warrant was requested and a hearing was conducted.
Inter/Intrastate probation
Due to a recent system conversion, Inter/Intrastate probation violations are not included in this data portal, at this point in time. This type of probation includes clients who were convicted of a crime in a place where they do not live, and have requested to have their supervision transferred to their place of residence under the terms of the Interstate Compact Office or intrastate transfer agreements. Inter/Intrastate staff coordinate transfer referrals for clients who are convicted in other jurisdictions who either currently live in Hennepin County or want to move to the county. If a transfer is accepted, staff provide supervision for the jurisdiction where the conviction occurred.
Data FAQ
Who is a client?
A client is someone who is on adult probation, adult parole or juvenile probation in Hennepin County. For this data portal, clients only include individuals on adult probation.
What is the difference between probation and parole?
Probation is a type of court-ordered supervision whereas parole, or supervised release, is a conditional release from prison. In Minnesota, many individuals who are in a state prison are eligible for supervised release after they have served the mandatory two-thirds of their sentence. The remaining one-third of their sentence is served on supervised release. While on supervised release, clients are supervised by agents in our department, and they must adhere to guidelines set by the Minnesota Department of Corrections.