When criminals are found guilty for an extreme or serious crime, a life sentence may be rendered by the courts and legal system. Life in prison entails that a convicted criminal must serve out a sentence in which he/she will remain incarcerated for the remainder of his/her life.
A life sentence will only be reserved for crimes that are considered to be serious, such as murder or high treason. In certain cases, crimes of a violent nature regarding controlled substances, burglary, or robbery may also carry a life sentence, particularly if a person is seriously harmed or killed. In the case of controlled substances, repeat offenders and large amounts of contraband can also lead a person to be sentenced to life in prison.
In the United States, a life sentence is still part of the punishment that is allowed by law, though this will prove not to be true in the entire world. Among the countries that recognize life in prison as punishment for serious crimes include Canada, India, Finland, and England.
In the United States, a person sentenced to life imprisonment may request parole after serving a certain amount of time. Generally speaking, the range of time in which a person can request for parole is between fifteen and thirty five years. However, parole can be denied on the basis or context of the crime itself. A conviction of multiple accounts of murder by a prisoner may not be eligible for parole consideration.
