OK, karrie, let me try. Probably will be wasted effort, because one can lead a horse to the water but can't make the horse drink.
A PAROLE is something that is built in the sentence of an offender. Such as, for instance, a person convicted of first degree murder is sentenced to imprisonment for life, and not eligible for PAROLE until he/she served 25 years. Or someone convicted and sentenced for second degree and not eligible for PAROLE for 10 years. Having said that, a PAROLE is not automatic. What is meant by that, that if an offender is sentenced for life with no eligibility for PAROLE for 25 years will NOT be set free at 25 years, automatically. PAROLE needs to to EARNED, going from maximum to medium to minimum degree of incarceration. GET IT? PAROLE? NOT PARDON?????
A convicted felon does not have to apply for PAROLE. It is in his/her sentence. PAROLE does NOT wipe away the record of an offender. A PARDON would and does. Getting it yet???
OK let's go from there.
So, once again: A PARDON is granted by someone outside of the judicial System. You know, like a Prime Minister in Canada or a President or a Governor in the States. It has nothing to do with the offense, or the offender or the crime or the sentence, but everything to do with the mood of the grantor.
Are you getting there yet?
An offender/felon/criminal, once EARNED parole will go to a half-way house where he/she will have to EARN freedom. His/her record will always be there, unlike the record of someone who managed to get a PARDON. The person who got the PARDON has no criminal record. NONE, it never happened.
Get it yet? Probably not.