Parole is the conditional release of an inmate from prison prior to his or her maximum release date. Parole is an act of clemency performed by the State Board of Pardons and Paroles. Individuals granted parole are placed under the supervision of DCS.

Probation is a sentence issued by the court following a plea or conviction in a criminal case. Probation is an alternative to incarceration. It allows the individual to be monitored for compliance with court ordered conditions while under community supervision.

Georgia has the Nation’s Highest Supervision Population with 1 in 23 adults under some form of community supervision compared to the national average of 1 in 66.

No. Of the 198,490 people on felony probation in Fiscal Year 2021, less than 1% (1,289) had their sentence revoked to state prison.

New Charges. Out of the 1,289 individuals with revocations to state prison, the majority (79%) were for new offenses.

87% of individuals complete their term of supervision in the community.

Our mission is to protect and serve the state of Georgia through effective and efficient community supervision while providing opportunities for successful outcomes.

DCS offers a Ride-Along Program to provide opportunities for individuals to observe community supervision firsthand and, through personal interaction, become better acquainted with the duties and responsibilities of our agency and personnel.

To schedule a ride-along, click here.

Yes. Supervisees must, however, request permission to travel out of state. If a request to travel out of state is approved, the supervisee will be issued a written travel permit and will be subject to the terms and conditions of the permit.

Supervisees may change their residence of record with prior permission from a community supervision officer.

No. Supervisees are NOT allowed to own or posses any type of firearm or ammunition. Supervisees must make application with the State Board of Pardons and Paroles to have firearms rights restored after a period of five (5) years following the completion of all prison and/or probation sentences.

For more information on Pardons and Firearms Restoration click here.

No. The right to vote is automatically restored upon the completion of an supervisee's sentence. The individual will, however, be required to re-register in his or county of residence.

To find local voter registration offices please click here.

Yes. DCS officers are required to conduct unscheduled field visits at the supervisee's residence of record. The frequency of these visits depends on several factors including the supervisee's level of supervision and his or her compliance with the conditions of release.

With limited exception for certain sexual offenses, you are eligible for early termination when you have reached your Behavioral Incentive Date (BID) or completed three years on probation, whichever comes first, and meet the following criteria: 

• Have no new arrests other than arrests for a non serious traffic offense as defined in Code Section 35-3-37;

• Have not had your probation revoked within the last 24 months, or when the Court includes a BID less than two years from the date the sentence was imposed, not had your probation revoked during such period; and

• Have paid all restitution owed. 

No, the offense you are on probation for does not impact your eligibility for early termination.

While DCS can submit an early termination petition for any case that meets the eligibility criteria, your criminal history, offense, and sentence structure determine if DCS is required to submit a petition or progress report for your case.

While DCS can submit an early termination petition for any case that meets the eligibility criteria, your criminal history, offense, and sentence structure determine if DCS is required to submit a petition or progress report for your case.

If you are on unsupervised probation, you should contact either our Call Center at 678-783-4337 or the appropriate DCS Field Office. 

Contact information for all DCS Field Offices can be found on our website here.

If you are supervised in a different state, you should contact either our Call Center at 678-783-4337 or the appropriate DCS Field Office. 

Contact information for all DCS Field Offices can be found on our website here.

The timeline and process after a petition has been submitted are outside of DCS’ control. It is recommended that you periodically follow up with your assigned officer for updates on the status of your case. If it has been more than 30 days since the petition was submitted, you may need to seek legal assistance.