When you’re convicted of a crime in Illinois, the punishment can often amount to jail time. However, it’s not uncommon for some defendants to be sentenced to probation instead.

Probation, also known as supervised release, allows the person convicted to continue life outside of jail. They remain supervised for the safety of those around them. If they break the terms of probation, they return to jail.

Probation should help rehabilitate those with criminal convictions while keeping the community safe, but [...]