A life sentence is often only a set number of years because the term "life sentence" generally refers to the maximum punishment a person can receive, but it does not always mean imprisonment for the inmate's entire natural life. Instead, it usually means a minimum number of years to serve before the possibility of parole. For example, many places set about 20 to 30 years as the minimum before a prisoner can apply for parole, with actual release depending on various factors such as rehabilitation and the nature of the crime. This system also allows courts to impose consecutive sentences for multiple crimes, which add up to many years, often more than a typical lifespan, effectively ensuring the person remains imprisoned for life. The rationale for making a life sentence a certain number of years includes:
- Providing a clear legal framework for parole eligibility.
- Reflecting factors such as average criminal age and the impact of long-term imprisonment.
- Allowing for good behavior credits or other adjustments.
- Managing multiple sentences for multiple crimes, ensuring they cumulatively reflect a life term.
- Enabling possibility of parole review while still protecting public safety.
Some jurisdictions have "life without parole" sentences that do imply lifelong imprisonment. Others use "life sentence" with parole eligibility after a set period (e.g., 20-30 years) as the norm. Consecutive life sentences or very long total sentences are used in practice to make sure offenders serve their entire life behind bars if warranted. Ultimately, a "life sentence" is often a legal term signifying the severity but does not always translate to literal lifelong incarceration without parole review.
