US Jail Sentences - Is there a difference between "Life in Prison" versus "Life in Prison without the possibility of parole" ? This is a?

STEVEN F

Life in prison allows for the possibility the parole board will recommend your release at some point before you die. Life in prison without the possibility of parole means the parole board never ever reviews your case.

Anonymous

It depends on the language in the state law. "Life" can mean the duration of a natural life, or a minimum of 25 years to life with the possibility of parole after 25 years. Some states have abolished parole, so a life sentence means just that. You exit prison in a pine box.

Foofa

Yes, the former means you're eligible for parole and latter does not. I know, why do they call it "life" when it doesn't that...you're not alone in wondering.

Clive

There most certainly is. "Life without parole" is specified because you CAN have a life sentence that includes a minimum term, after which the prisoner can be considered for release on parole. States differ on what kinds of "life" are available. For example, when the BTK killer Dennis Rader was sentenced in Kansas, Kansas law said that "life" ALWAYS means a minimum of 15 years, and the judge can only increase that for something particularly bad. Life without parole wasn't possible. As he had admitted to ten murders, the judge got inventive to make sure he would never get out - what he did was make the ten life sentences consecutive, and put a 40 year minimum on the last one as it was particularly nasty. That makes (9 x 15) + 40 = 175 years, which ought to do it! I don't know what the USA does about lifers who have been released on parole, but here in the UK, what makes it a life sentence is that they're under supervision by a probation officer for life. Big Brother is watching you! We can have either life with a whole life term, the same thing as life without parole, or life with a minimum term. And the minimum term absolutely cannot be reduced by anyone except the appeal court. I know that in the USA there is some amazing flexibility but here, once a judge pronounces sentence, that is IT apart from appeals. You know what the sentence means. While I'm at it, there are only two types of prison sentence in the UK (we don't have jails). Life or a fixed term. A fixed term always means release after half the time, you're on probation for the other half, and of course judges know that when they decide.

Bill

It's possible to get released from prison with a "regular" life sentence. That's called parole. If one is sentenced to life without parole, they will die in prison.

Anonymous

Yes, life in prison allows for parole someday in the far diastnat future

RICK

Yes In most cases those sentenced to life are eligible for parole in 20 years, if its life without parole they never get out of prison until they are carried out for burial

Valleycat1

Yes. Life in prison does offer the option of parole eventually. So a sentence without that option would be more severe.