Probation is a conditional suspension of a sentence (jail or prison) imposed on a person convicted of a crime. The conditions may include jail time, fines, fees, restitution, drug testing, treatment and community service. The offender's compliance with these conditions is monitored by a probation officer. If probation is completed successfully, the sentence is not imposed. If the offender is not compliant, probation may be revoked and the offender incarcerated.
Probation / Parole
Probation is not parole, which is a conditional release from prison after the offender has served a portion of his/her sentence. Parolees are supervised by parole officers. Parole/community supervision may be revoked if an offender fails to abide by the conditions of community release.
Arizona Probation
Arizona is one of a handful of states in which probation oversight is the responsibility of the courts, through the Adult Services Division of the Arizona Supreme Court's Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC). Arizona probation is further divided into 10 of the state's 15 counties, which operate separate adult and juvenile probation departments. Parole officers are employees of the Department of Corrections.
For more information regarding the powers and duties of probation officers, please consult Arizona Revised Statutes A.R.S. Section 12-253. Additional statutes governing adult probation are A.R.S. Sections 13-901, 13-914 and 13-916, which can be found on the Arizona State Legislature website.