why dont they say you get life in prison with no possiblity of parole
2007-12-14 08:08:04 · 33 answers · asked by Madmen22 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
In case they are going to have a lifetime of 700 years!
2007-12-14 08:11:14 · answer #1 · answered by pisces86 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
For some states and some crimes, that choice "life without parole" doesn't exist. Depending on the crowded conditions of the prisons, convicts get time off for good behavior, whittling down sentences to a fraction of the original term.
A judge handing down such a sentence (probably in a case with multiple accounts and charges) is sending the clear signal that there should be NO loopholes that would possibly allow parole to ever be considered for this offender.
2007-12-14 08:12:24 · answer #2 · answered by arklatexrat 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Let's say you are convicted of three crimes, each with 30 years and you get a sentence of 90 years, now we all know you'll pretty much end up in prison for life.
10 years later, you have one of the three charges overturned, you now have a 60 year sentence. If you would have been given just life, then you would have to be released or go through another trial.
In addition, parole eligibility(must serve a certain percentage of time), can also come into play .
2007-12-14 11:57:24 · answer #3 · answered by joseph b 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Some states (or the charges against them) do not have life w/o parole. The way they figure parole eligibility is you must have served a third (I think) of your sentence. Therefore, someone who had to do 438 years would never be eligible for parole, mathematically.
2007-12-14 08:15:55 · answer #4 · answered by bigchucka 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because there are only certain crimes that can legally be given a sentence of "life in prison" and as someone already stated, when someone commits multiple crimes the amount of years on their sentences continue to add up until they are at 438. I agree that it is a very silly concept though!
2007-12-14 08:30:01 · answer #5 · answered by tim j 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because even without parole, they'll eventually be eligible for parole. A 438 year sentence guarantees that the convict won't be eligible for parole in his natural life.
2007-12-14 08:20:26 · answer #6 · answered by DOOM 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because if they only gave them life in prison they would get out in six or seven years on good behavior and then commit the same crime all over again.
Some sentencing guidelines do not allow for life in prison but if they have multiple convictions they can pile all the sentences on top of one another and come up with a long long stay in the slammer.
2007-12-15 01:34:15 · answer #7 · answered by boiledcrabs 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Chances are there is no LWP in that state. Also when a prisoner receives LWP they frequently appeal and get a parole possibility. With 400 years the law usually says they must serve a certain percentage of the time.
2007-12-14 08:47:43 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I know it seems ridiculous, but imagine this: A serial killer kills 10 people. Lets say the murder one charge is 25 years, thats 250 years. Obviously he wont live that long. However that A**hole needs to be CONVICTED and SENTENCED for each life that he took. If he dies before the sentence is fulfilled. Okay sorry. But each family needs to walk away knowing that he scum was sentenced to the max for the murder of their indivdual loved one. Each murdered soul should be able to rest in peace with the knowledge that the killer was sentenced for the crime of against each of the victims. 250 years wont be served, but the books will show that he was sentenced.
2007-12-14 08:22:29 · answer #9 · answered by blackice136 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because in some jurisdictions, "life" means 20 years or 30 years not "until you die". In addition, A person may be able to get one of the charges appealed so the judge is making sure that the person literally stays in jail until they die. Another resaon is that the sentence itself addresses multiple crimes not one and the criminal is getting max sentence for each crime.
2007-12-14 08:18:44 · answer #10 · answered by David M 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If they are convicted of multiple crimes, they get multiple sentences and those can add up. I guess They still give them all those years so that they don't just get sentenced to one thing and then get let out on parole for that one crime and walk the streets in spite of whatever else they did.
2007-12-14 08:12:04 · answer #11 · answered by callalilylady63 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋