A prison furlough is an authorized temporary release granted to a

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...

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 or captivity in a prison or physical restraint. The term usually applies to one serving a sentence in pr ...

. 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 Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Justice that is responsible for all List of United States federal prisons, federal prisons ...

, 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 {{Law-term-stub