What is a life sentence? How long is a life sentence? Learn about the number of years in a life sentence and the meaning of consecutive life sentences.
Updated: 11/21/2023
Life Sentence | Definition, Reasons & Length
Table of Contents
- What is a Life Sentence?
- How Long is a Life Sentence?
- Reasons for a Sentence of Life in Prison
- Minors and Life in Prison
- Lesson Summary
- FAQs
- Activities
Debate Life Sentence Rules
In this activity students will debate different perspectives of the life sentence argument using the information gained from the lesson and additional information learned through research.
Instructions
- Create a list of debate statements from which student teams can choose to argue. Some examples are:
- Life sentences should be exactly 30 years only.
- A life sentence should last the entire remaining life of the criminal regardless of age at sentencing.
- The time limit for a life sentence should be a sliding scale depending on age at sentencing.
- Divide your class into small groups of debate teams.
- Either assign or allow each team to choose a different debate argument.
- Give your students a set amount of time to review the lesson and research any further information they need to build their argument.
- Remind your students to include the current definition of a life sentence and statistics learned in the lesson in their arguments.
- Conduct a class debate on what the definition and length of a life sentence should be.
- You may want to allow a couple of students to be judges to award points during the debate.
Alternate
- If your students must work independently, allow each to choose a single argument and compose an 'opening statement' to support that argument. The statement must use information from the lesson and include any new information that will help the student support his/her view.
Does a life sentence last until death?
A life sentence carries a maximum term of the person's natural life. If the sentence does not have the ability to be paroled, then it ends at a person's death. If there is a minimum time served attached to the sentence, then the person is eligible to be paroled after the minimum time served.
How long are three life sentences?
The life sentences consecutively would have a minimum amount of time served for each life sentence. A basic life conviction in the United States carries a minimum of 25 years before parole eligibility. 3 life sentences would mean the person wouldn't be eligible for release until 75 years have passed.
Table of Contents
- What is a Life Sentence?
- How Long is a Life Sentence?
- Reasons for a Sentence of Life in Prison
- Minors and Life in Prison
- Lesson Summary
A natural question is: "How many years is a life sentence?" Many people might be reading this lesson wondering why this can't be summed up in a few simple words. Life is when someone is alive, so a life sentence must mean a sentence that lasts until they die. But, it's not nearly that simple.
A life sentence is technically the term for a prison sentence that is intended to last for the rest of the accused person's natural life. The reason more information is needed is because there are many different considerations and exceptions that can be made with regards to a life sentence. In other words, if a person is sentenced to life in prison, it doesn't mean they will spend the rest of their life in jail.
There are some nuances and special circumstances regarding life sentences in the U.S judicial system. In the modern criminal justice system in the United States, most cases involving life sentences are handled at the state level, so the way they are handled and worded can vary depending on the state the person was convicted in.
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As we will see, the answer to "How long is life in prison?" is complex. There are many types of life sentences depending on the crime(s) that were committed, the state where the person was sentenced and the behavior of the person during their stay in prison. Some life sentences include terminology that states without the possibility of parole. In these sentences, the only way a convicted person can ever be released is if they appeal the sentence or the conviction and win or are granted a pardon. The following sections give some types of life sentences that are common in the U.S. judicial system.
Common Life Sentences
While there are many differences among the states on life sentences, there are two basic categories of life sentences in the judicial system.
Determinate life sentence is defined as a life sentence with no way to shorten the sentence. That means the prisoner cannot be released for parole, good behavior or any other reason beyond winning an appeal.
Indeterminate life sentence is defined by a life sentence with the possibility of being released on parole or through good behavior. Sometimes indeterminate sentences contain a number of years before the life sentence part, as in 25 years to life. This timeframe gives the judge leeway for assigning the minimum years, as well as the point at which the possibility of parole can be reached.
Life Sentence with Parole
Many times a convicted person will receive a life sentence that includes the possibility of parole. Parole is the temporary or permanent release of an imprisoned person before the end of their sentence. In the case of a life sentence, any parole would come before the end of the sentence's maximum term.
Parole is not a release or a pardon because the person is still serving their sentence. When a prisoner gets released on parole, they have a list of stipulations that can range from geographical limitations to activity limitations. The parolee is assigned a parole officer whose job is to make sure that the person is following the conditions of their parole. In parole cases that are not life sentences, the convicted person remains on parole and follows the stipulations until the end of the sentence. In the case of prisoners sentenced to life, their parole never truly ends.
Consecutive Life Sentences
Consecutive life sentences are back-to-back life sentences opposed on a person. These sentences are real things, not just some fantasy. While it might seem ridiculous for a person to serve another life sentence after they die, they are imposed to ensure that a person doesn't get out too soon, or at all.
In the United States, people serving a life sentence are eligible for parole after 25 years. If they are serving two consecutive life sentences, it means they have to wait at least 50 years to be considered for parole.
The question that many people ask is: Do consecutive life sentences ever get handed down? The answer is a definitive yes. The following are examples of individuals who were sentenced for consecutive life sentences. Some of these criminals got extra years tacked onto the consecutive sentences as well.
- Jeffrey Dahmer - the infamous serial killer was convicted of killing 15 men in the 90s and was sentenced to 15 consecutive life sentences. Technically he could have been eligible for parole after 375 years in jail.
- James Alex Fields Jr. - In 2019, Fields was convicted of killing 2 people with his car in Charlottesville, Virginia. He got 2 consecutive life sentences, but the judge added an additional 419 years on top of that.
- Terry Nichols - Terry Nichols was involved in the Oklahoma City Bombing and in 1995 was sentenced to 161 life sentences for each of the people who died in the building he destroyed. For good measure the judge added 9,300 years without parole.
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Life Sentence | Definition, Reasons & Length
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