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life imprisonment

law
Also known as: life sentence

Quick Summary

Life imprisonment is a punishment where an individual is confined to prison for the remainder of their life. This can be a sentence with no possibility of parole, or it can involve a minimum number of years before parole eligibility. Parole is a supervised, conditional release from prison granted before a sentence is fully served.123

In some legal systems, indeterminate sentences are used, meaning the prison term has no fixed duration but a prescribed maximum. Eligibility for parole is then determined by a parole authority, often based on the offender's conduct, offense, and prospects for rehabilitation.4

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