Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life imprisonment are considered extremely serious and usually violent.

In the United States, life imprisonment is the most severe punishment provided by law in states with no valid capital punishment statute, and second-most in those with a valid statute. According to a 2013 study, one of every 2,000 prison inhabitants of …

Jan 8, 2025 · Trends in Life Imprisonment, 2003-2024. Sources: The Sentencing Project has collected data directly from state departments of corrections and the Federal Bureau of Prisons on the number of people serving life sentences in 2003, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024. Note that The Sentencing Project’s count of people serving virtual life sentences ...

life imprisonment: Life imprisonment is a sentence following a criminal conviction, which gives the state the power to detain a person in prison for life, that is, until they die there. Within this definition, two basic types of life sentences can be identified: (1) formal life imprisonment, where

As of January 2015, there were 4,436 prisoners incarcerated in the Federal Bureau of Prisons serving a life imprisonment sentence. The most common offense type for which a life imprisonment sentence was imposed in fiscal year 2013 was drug trafficking (64 cases).

Life imprisonment in the United States is a deeply flawed and ineffective tool for crime control, one that fails to deliver on promises of community safety while disproportionately harming communities of color, especially Black Americans. Unlike many other nations, where life sentences are rare and of a shorter

Feb 17, 2021 · In 2020, The Sentencing Project obtained official corrections data from all states and the Federal Bureau of Prisons to produce our 5th national census on life imprisonment. 8,600 people nationwide are serving parole-eligible life or virtual life …

Life imprisonment is a legal penalty where an individual is sentenced to spend the rest of their life in prison without the possibility of parole. This form of punishment is typically reserved for the most serious crimes, such as homicide, where society seeks to ensure public safety and deliver justice for victims.

Dec 5, 2023 · More than 200,000 people are serving life sentences in U.S. prisons today, and most of them are locked in state correctional facilities. The vast majority of lifers are people of color, about 30% are people age 55 and older, and an increasing number are women.

Formal life imprisonment exists in 183 countries. Life with parole is the most common type of life imprisonment – in 144 countries there is some provision for release. 65 countries impose life without parole sentences.