Tom Webster, age 15, of White Plains, N.Y., for his question:

IS A PARDON LIKE A PAROLE?

A pardon is the act of releasing a person from the legal penalties for a crime he has committed or been convicted of. Parole means release of a convicted criminal from prison before he has served his full sentence.

A person on parole must report from time to time to an individual named by the parole board. But a person who receives a pardon is entirely free.

Pardons are granted by chief executives such as kings, presidents and governors. The executive often acts on a recommendation made by the board, a commission or a single individual.

A person who receives a pardon is not regarded as a criminal, because the pardon has the effect of wiping out the conviction. The pardon may be used to free a person whose innocence is established after he has been convicted.

State governors grant many pardons to restore civil rights to offenders who have served their sentence and have been properly rehabilitated.

A commutation of sentence differs from a pardon in that it merely lessens the terms of punishment.