Parole Violation Holds

A parole hold is the situation where families most often buy something they did not need. The short version: a parole hold is not bailable in the ordinary way. Posting a bond on the new criminal charge does not lift it, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling you a bond that will not get the person out.

Parole is not probation, and the difference decides everything

If the person was in state prison before this, assume parole or PRCS and ask specifically. See probation violations for the court-side equivalent.

What a parole hold does in practice

• It sits on top of the new case. The new charge may carry a perfectly ordinary bail amount. Posting it discharges the person as to that offence only — Penal Code § 1269b(g) is explicit about that — and the hold keeps them in custody.
• It is not resolved at the jail counter. No amount of money moves it.
• It has its own process and its own timeline, separate from the criminal case.
• It is one of the five reasons a release stalls after a bond is posted — see how long release takes.

What we will tell you on the phone

We check for holds before quoting anything, because it is the difference between a bond that works and a bond that does not. If there is a parole hold, you will hear that from us, and you will not be sold a bond that cannot achieve what you want.

What actually helps in that situation is a criminal defence lawyer, early. They can address the new charge and advise on the supervision side; we cannot, and we will not pretend otherwise.

When a bond still matters

Sometimes it does. If the hold is lifted or the supervision matter resolves while the new charge is still pending, the bail on that charge becomes live again — and having the bond arranged means the release is not then waiting on paperwork. That is a judgement call, and it is one to make with the lawyer rather than at 3 a.m. on a phone call.

How to find out whether there is a hold

1. Ask directly. Custody staff will usually say whether a hold exists, even if not what kind.
2. Ask us to check. It is free and it is the first thing we do.
3. Look at the history. State prison in the past points to parole or PRCS; county jail and a judge’s supervision order points to probation.

Related: warrants, how to check for a warrant, and the PC 1275.1 hold, which is a different obstacle again.

Told there is “no bail”?

That phrase covers three different situations, and a parole hold is only one of them. Can bail be denied in California? separates a genuine denial from an amount that has simply not been set yet.

Questions we get asked most

Can you bail someone out on a parole hold?

Not in the ordinary way. A parole hold is handled through the state supervision process rather than by posting bail, and a bond on the new criminal charge does not lift it.

What is the difference between a probation violation and a parole violation?

Probation is supervision ordered by a court, and a violation goes back to the judge. Parole is supervision after release from state prison, and a violation is handled through the state supervision process.

The new charge has a bail amount. Why can they not be released?

Because posting bail discharges a person as to the offence the bail was posted on and nothing more. A hold from another authority keeps them in custody.

What should we do instead?

Speak to a criminal defence lawyer early. They can address the new charge and advise on the supervision matter. Ask us to confirm whether a hold exists first — that check costs nothing.

Related resources

Probation violations · Warrants · How to check for a warrant · PC 1275.1 hold · How long release takes · Avoiding bail bond scams · All bail services