Parole

Verified 20 August 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)

Parole is a sentencing arrangement decided by the jurisdictions of enforcement of sentences. It allows the convicted person to end his sentence outside of the penal institution while remaining constrained by obligations. The convict remains followed by the sentencing judge and a prison counselor for integration and probation (CPIP). In order to apply for parole, it is necessary to complete certain conditions. Here is the information you need to know.

Generally speaking, an inmate may apply for parole if he has some time in prison, that he made serious social rehabilitation efforts (example: work in prison, learning to read and write) and that it presents some guarantees.

In certain specific cases, the convicted person may be released on parole without having to meet these conditions. This is the case:

  • When over 70 years of age
  • When he is the parent of a child under 10 years of age or, in the case of a woman, is pregnant
  • When he is seriously ill.

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General scenario

Conditions relating to time spent in prison

The inmate may be released on parole if he or she at least half his sentence in prison, within the limit of:

  • 15 years for one primary offender
  • 20 years for offenders in a state of recurrence.

The person sentenced to the life imprisonment may be granted parole where the person has:

  • 18 years in prison for first-time offenders
  • 22 years for repeat offenders.
Conditions relating to the sentenced person

The convicted person must also prove that he is serious social rehabilitation efforts (e.g. work in detention, follow-up to treatment, etc.) and guarantee one of the following:

  • Exercise of a professional activity, followed by an internship or teaching
  • Follow-up of vocational training
  • Essential participation in the life of his family (his presence is essential for the education of a child for example)
  • Need for medical treatment
  • Efforts to compensate victims
  • Involvement in a serious integration or reintegration project (for example, a voluntary or associative activity).

Please note

Having a place to live on release from prison is essential to getting parole.

One inmate foreigner which is the subject of a ban on living or moving on French territory, expulsion order or a obligation to leave french territory may be granted parole only if this measure is carried out on release from prison.

In addition, any person convicted for one crime or a offense incurring a socio-judicial monitoring may be granted parole only if she has undergone treatment while in custody and/or while committing to follow him during the test time.

Over 70 years of age

If the convicted person has over 70 years, they may be granted parole regardless of the length of their remaining sentence.

Parole is granted once the person is rehabilitated (for example, they are in therapy).

The convict must justify that he will be provided with housing or that he will be taken care of (e.g. in a retirement home) upon his release from prison.

Warning  

Such release shall not be granted in the event of a risk of renewal of the offense or serious disturbance of public order.

Parental authority over children under 10 years of age

The convicted person to a sentence of not more than 4 years or for which there are 4 years to be served may be released on parole in 2 situations:

  • It has parental authority on a child under 10 years of age who usually resides at home
  • She has been pregnant for more than 12 weeks.

However, parole cannot be granted to the person convicted for a crime or a offense committed against a minor.

Suffering from a serious illness

A convicted person suffering from a serious illness may benefit from suspension of sentence. This means that he is released from prison as long as his illness remains serious.

One year after the start of the sentence suspension, the convicted person shall be subject to a medical examination.

He can get parole if the 2 the following conditions are met:

  • Medical expertise shows that his state of health (physical or mental) is incompatible with incarceration
  • The convicted person is provided with care adapted to his illness.

FYI  

Suspension of sentence shall not be granted if there is a serious risk of renewal of sentence. the offense.

Request

As soon as he is eligible for parole, the convicted person is notified by the the penal institution on which it depends.

From that point on, the inmate can apply for parole.

The request is made by query signed by the convicted person and/or his lawyer.

It can be sent by letter RAR: titleContent or hand-delivered:

  • At the Registry of Jap: titleContent of the judicial tribunal in the spring of which the person is incarcerated or domiciled
  • Or to the head of the penal institution in which the convicted person is incarcerated.

FYI  

Throughout the proceedings, the convicted person may be assisted by a lawyer. If he does not have the financial resources to hire a lawyer, he can eventually get legal aid.

Processing of the request

The sentencing judge is competent to grant parole to persons sentenced to a custodial sentence less than 10 years or for which there are only 3 years left in prison.

If the custodial sentence is greater than 10 years, the application shall be dealt with by the judges of sentencing court. The same applies to persons convicted of an offense act of terrorism (outside provocation or apology for terrorism) or for those sentenced to a at least 5 years' imprisonment for having committed an offense falling within organized crime.

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Sentence less than 10 years or time remaining to be completed less than 3 years

Following the application for parole, the Jap: titleContent conduct an investigation. In a delay of 4 months from the application, he organizes a adversarial debateduring which the convicted person and/or his lawyer may make observations.

Please note

If the convicted person and the public prosecutor agree, the Jap may grant conditional release without an adversarial debate.

After this debate, the Jap makes a reasoned judgment by which he grants or refuses parole.

The convict can make a appeal against that decision by referring the matter to the chamber for the enforcement of sentences on which depends the Jap who made the judgment. It has a 10 days from the notification of judgment.

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Sentence exceeding 10 years

Parole is decided by the judges of the sentencing court where the person has been sentenced to:

  • A sentence of more than 10 years in prison
  • The life imprisonment, regardless of the remaining prison time
  • A sentence of criminal imprisonment over 15 years of age for which a socio-judicial monitoring is incurred, regardless of the remaining prison time.

Before reviewing the application, the judges of Tap: titleContent shall seek the advice of a representative of the prison administration and a commission to assess the dangerousness of the convicted person.

Judges must also hear the public prosecutor, the convicted person and/or his lawyer during a adversarial debate. This debate must be organized in a 6 months delay from the request.

Please note

The debate may take place within the prison in which the inmate is located. It can be done by videoconference.

Tap judges issue a reasoned judgment granting or refusing parole.

The convict can make a appeal against this decision by referring the matter to the Chamber for the Enforcement of Sentences, which is responsible for the Tap judges who delivered the judgment. He has a period of 10 days from the date of notification of the judgment.

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FYI  

Parole may also be granted without application by the convicted person. In this case, the Tap must have been entered by the Jap: titleContent or the public prosecutor.

Conviction for an act of terrorism or for an organized crime offense

Regardless of the length of the prison sentence still to be served, parole is decided by the judges of the sentencing court where the person has been sentenced to one of the following penalties:

  • Custodial sentence for committing a crime act of terrorism
  • Custodial sentence at least 5 years old for having committed an act falling within organized crime.

Before reviewing the application, the judges of Tap: titleContent shall seek the advice of a representative of the prison administration and a commission to assess the dangerousness of the convicted person.

Judges must also hear the public prosecutor, the convicted person and/or his lawyer during a adversarial debate. This debate must be organized in a 6 months delay from the request.

Please note

The debate may take place within the prison in which the inmate is located. It can be done by videoconference.

Tap judges issue a reasoned judgment granting or refusing parole.

The convict can make a appeal against this decision by referring the matter to the Chamber for the Enforcement of Sentences, which is responsible for the Tap judges who delivered the judgment. He has a period of 10 days from the date of notification of the judgment.

Who shall I contact

FYI  

Parole may also be granted without application by the convicted person. In this case, the Tap must have been entered by the Jap: titleContent or the public prosecutor.

During parole, the convicted person is assisted and supervised by the Jap: titleContent and one prison counselor for integration and probation.

He must submit to obligations and prohibitions set out in the judgment granting him parole. These measures shall apply for a limited period.

What are the obligations and prohibitions related to parole?

In particular, the convicted person may be obliged to:

  • Reply to the convocations of the Jap: titleContent
  • Receive visits from a CPIP: titleContent
  • Residing in a specific dwelling
  • Prevent the prison insertion and probation service changes of employment and residence
  • Prevent the SPIP: titleContent of all its movements of more than 15 days
  • Compensate victims
  • Justify that he pays the amounts due to the Public Treasury
  • Submit to a injunction for care if he has been convicted of an offense involving socio-judicial monitoring.

It may also be prohibited to:

  • Attending certain specific places (example: drinking rate)
  • Dating certain people (e.g. victim or accomplice)
  • Use a social network account for a maximum of 6 months.

FYI  

In some cases, it is possible that the person who is on parole may be placed on an electronic bracelet.

In certain situations, the convicted person is required to be placed on an electronic bracelet. In other cases, this device may be decided by the sentencing judge.

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Electronic wristband required

The parole recipient is obligatory be placed under electronic bracelet where he has been sentenced to:

  • A sentence of life imprisonment
  • A sentence of 15 years or more for an offense for which socio-judicial monitoring
  • A sentence of 10 years or more for an offense for which security retention.

This rule shall not apply where the convicted person has already been the subject of a semi-liberty, of a placement outside or a house arrest under electronic surveillance, during a period of one to three years before the end of test time.

Optional electronic wristband

The enforcement judge may order the placement on an electronic bracelet of a person sentenced to at least 7 years' imprisonment for having committed an offense for which a socio-judicial monitoring is incurred.

The same applies to a person sentenced to at least 5 years' imprisonment for committing crimes violence or threats on the person with whom they are or have been married, entered into a civil partnership or cohabiting or against the children of one of the members of the cohabiting couple.

Please note

In order to be placed on an electronic bracelet, the convicted person must give his consent. However, if she does not give it, her parole can be canceled.

What is the length of parole obligations and prohibitions?

The Jap: titleContent or the judges of Tap: titleContent set the period for which the convicted person must comply with these obligations and prohibitions.

The duration of the measures is more or less long depending on the sentence imposed on the detainee.

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Temporary prison sentence

The duration of these measures may not exceed by more than one year the length of the sentence remaining to be served on parole.

In addition, these measures are applicable for a period of 10 years maximum.

Example :

If parole is granted for 5 years, the convicted person may be obliged to comply with the measures set by the Jap, for a maximum of 6 years. On the other hand, if parole is granted for 11 years, the convicted person will be subject to obligations and prohibitions for a maximum period of 10 years.

Life imprisonment

If the convicted person has been sentenced to life imprisonment, these measures shall apply to it for a period of 5 to 10 years from the date of his parole.

Can parole obligations be changed?

The sentenced person may request that the obligations and prohibitions to which he is subject be amended.

The request is made by query signed by the convicted person or his lawyer.

It can be sent by letter RAR: titleContent or hand-delivered:

  • At the Registry of Jap: titleContent of the judicial tribunal in the spring of which the person is incarcerated or domiciled
  • Or to the head of the penal institution in which the convicted person is incarcerated.

Parole can end either at the end of the test time if there has been no incident, i.e. during the probation period if the convicted person has not complied with his obligations or has committed a new offense.

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No incidents during parole

If no incident occurred during the test time, parole ends and the person is permanently released.

Failure to comply with obligations or the commission of a new offense

Where the sentenced person does not comply with the obligations and prohibitions to which he was subject during the test time, the jurisdictions of enforcement of sentences may cancel parole.

The same applies if the person commits a new offense during that period.

Cancelation of this sentencing arrangement is decided after a adversarial debate during which the sentenced person (and/or lawyer) may make comments.

In the event of annulment, the convicted person go back to prison for the remainder of his sentence at the time of parole.

If the cancelation is due to the commission of a new offense, the sentence imposed for that offense accumulates the length of the sentence remaining to be served at the time of parole. For example, if the remainder is 2 years and the sentence is 3 years, the convicted person will remain in the prison for 5 years.

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