Top of Page Probation Probation is a sentence that judges can impose on people convicted of crimes. Probation allows an offender to serve his or her sentence in the community under the supervision of a probation officer. Probation officers work for the Judic ciary A sentence of probation may require an offender to pay fines, to pay restitution to the victims of his or her crime, to seek counseling for substance abuse or for mental health or family problems, or to perform community-service work, such as cleaning litter from a park or highway or removing graffiti from a building. People on probation remain under the authority of the court. Offenders who violate the conditions of their probation may be returned to court and resentenced to prison.
Probation is different from parole.
In parole, offenders are supervised by parole officers upon their release from prison. Every court case has a name, or caption. A civil case in which Jane Smith is suing John Jones, then, would be called ane Smith v. John Jones , or simply Smith v. ones. In criminal cases in New Jersey the plaintiff is always the State of New Jersey because in the eyes of the law, a crime is committed not just against the victim but against society as a whole. A criminal case against Michael Jones would be called State v. ones.