suspended sentences
Delayed jail terms
A suspended sentence is a criminal penalty where the court delays or withholds imprisonment, allowing the convicted person to remain free under specified conditions.
If they complete probation, perform community service, or meet other requirements without incident, the jail time is never served.
Violating conditions activates the original sentence: He received two years suspended, but a new arrest sent him to prison.
Firmly held belief
- probationSupervised trial period
- plea bargainNegotiated criminal case resolution
- felonySerious criminal offense
- misdemeanorLesser criminal charge
clemency · leniency · mitigation · parole · reprieve · commutation · deterrence · restitution
Delaying to later
- delayEnforced waiting period
- continuanceSustained extension forward
- stayRemain in position
- abeyanceTemporary inactive state
moratorium · reprieve · adjournment · respite · hiatus · pending · conditional · waiting period
Renewed opportunity after failure
- redemptionRecovery or moral restoration
- reintegrationRestoration to a group
- reformImprove by correcting faults
- recoveryRegaining what was lost
forgiveness · mercy · atonement · remorse · contrition · turnaround · renewal · resocialization
conviction
Firmly held belief
- probationSupervised trial period
- plea bargainNegotiated criminal case resolution
- felonySerious criminal offense
misdemeanor · clemency · leniency · mitigation · parole · reprieve · commutation · deterrence · restitution · guilty
postponement
Delaying to later
- delayEnforced waiting period
- continuanceSustained extension forward
- stayRemain in position
abeyance · moratorium · reprieve · adjournment · respite · hiatus · pending · conditional · waiting period · probationary period
second chance
Renewed opportunity after failure
- redemptionRecovery or moral restoration
- reintegrationRestoration to a group
- reformImprove by correcting faults
recovery · forgiveness · mercy · atonement · remorse · contrition · turnaround · renewal · resocialization · behavioral therapy
- sentencingdeath row, probation, mandatory minimum, imprisonment, prison term
- correctionscorrection, corrections, fix, fixing, rectification
suspended sentenceslife imprisonment
Incarceration until natural death
prison sentences · jail time · incarceration · imprisonment · capital punishment
suspended sentencesincarceration
Confinement in jail
imprisonment · jail time · prison sentences · detention · confinement
suspend, suspended, suspending, suspends, suspension, suspensions, suspense, suspenseful, suspender