Parole, also known as provisional release, supervised release, or being on paper, is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by behavioral conditions, including checking in with their designated parole officers, or else they may be rearrested and returned to prison. Parole is not an additional sentence; rather it is a system that allows inmates to finish their original sentence outside of prison under supervision. In some jurisdictions in the United States, people may shorten their time on parole through earned compliance credits.