Reviewed on: May 05,2026

Parole Violation and Drug Charges: How Much Time to Serve?

If someone is arrested for a parole violation warrant for absconding and is also charged with possession of marijuana and possession of meth, how long re they looking to serve in jail?

Asked: September 09, 2018
Author: Brandy
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This is a situation where multiple problems are hitting at the same time, and understanding how they interact is important.

The parole violation for absconding is the most serious piece of the picture. Absconding is not a minor technical violation. It means the person deliberately cut off contact with their supervising officer and went off the grid, which is treated as one of the most serious violations possible. When someone absconds and gets picked up, the parole board's typical response is to revoke parole entirely and order the person back to serve whatever remained on the original sentence. That time comes back without good time credits, without parole consideration, and without the benefit of the doubt that a first violation might carry.

The drug charges, possession of marijuana and methamphetamine, add another layer. Here is where the interaction between the two matters. In many states, new criminal charges while on parole trigger automatic revocation regardless of how minor the charges are. The new charges do not necessarily add additional prison time on top of the parole revocation, particularly for simple possession without intent to distribute, but they do cement the case for revocation and eliminate any argument that the person deserves another chance at supervised release.

Whether the drug charges result in additional consecutive time depends on the state, the quantities involved, the person's prior record, and how aggressively the prosecutor pursues them. Simple possession charges often result in sentences that run concurrently with the parole revocation time rather than adding years on top.

The realistic expectation is finishing the original sentence in full. Getting that time reduced further through any mechanism is unlikely given the absconding and the new charges on top of it.

https://www.inmateaid.com/ask-the-inmate/parole-violation-and-drug-charges-how-much-time-to-serve#answer
Accepted Answer Date Created: September 10,2018