If you have been arrested in Tennessee you are no doubt starting to wonder what may happen to you. Depending upon the reason for your arrest and the circumstances of your case, including the presence of any prior offenses on your record, the results of your arrest may vary quite a bit. If you are eventually convicted of an offense, you may be required to spend some time in jail or prison. However, if this happens you should know that there are different options via which you may be able to get out of confinement early or avoid it altogether.
As explained by the Tennessee Department of Correction, some people are able to serve a probation sentence instead of spending any time in jail. In some cases, a defendant may be required to spend some time in jail or prison but then serve the remainder of a sentence out on probation. In addition to standard probation, there is a special type of probation called determinate release. This program is for people convicted of felonies with sentences lasting from 12 to 24 months. At least one third of the sentence must be served in jail.
Community corrections give defendants convicted of non-violent offenses the opportunity to participate in community programs instead of going to jail. There are some of these programs and sites run by counties, non-profits or other agencies. Parole may be granted to people, allowing them to get out of prison or jail earlier than originally planned.
This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to give defendants in Tennessee an overview of some of the types of release from serving a jail or prison sentence that may be available to them.
