Why in News?

• Supreme Court of India has recently ruled that the period of parole granted to convicts during the Covid-19 pandemic to prevent overcrowding in prisons and avoid the risk of spread of infection, cannot be counted as part of their actual sentence period.

Highlights

• It is a system of releasing a prisoner with suspension of the sentence.
• The release is conditional, usually subject to behavior, and requires periodic reporting to the authorities for a set period of time
• Parole is not a right, and is given to a prisoner for a specific reason, such as a death in the family or a wedding of a blood relative
• It may be denied to a prisoner even when he makes out a sufficient case, if the competent authority is satisfied that releasing the convict would not be in the interest of society.
• It Is similar to parole, but with some significant differences. It is given in cases of long-term imprisonment.
• The period of furlough granted to a prisoner is treated as remission of his sentence.
• Unlike parole, furlough is seen as a matter of right for a prisoner, to be granted periodically irrespective of any reason, and merely to enable the prisoner to retain family and social ties, and to counter the ill-effects of prolonged time spent in prison.