A prison furlough is an authorized temporary release granted to a
prison
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...
inmate
A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison.
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. Prisoners on furlough may be allowed to leave unescorted, but, if accompanied by guards, often they must pay for the expense. Furloughs are sometimes granted for medical reasons or to allow inmates to attend funerals or make contact for employment upon release. There is some evidence that furloughs reduce violent outbursts, although there have also been high-profile cases in which furloughed prisoners committed crimes while on furlough, returned late, or remained at large. In the
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Justice that is responsible for the care, custody, and control of incarcerated individuals who have committed federal crimes; that i ...
, furloughs are considered neither a reward for good behavior nor a means to shorten a criminal sentence, but are intended strictly to further correctional goals.
References
Sentencing (law)
Penology
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