I just heard on the TV that someone got life in prison plus 47 years. I never understood this. Life in prison is life in prison so what does this mean when they get additional time on top of life in prison?
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Prison sentences vary from state to state and country to country. The United States by the standards of the rest of the world has a very aggressive penal system that imprison more often, and for longer periods of time than many other countries.
A life sentence is usually reserved for capitol cases. A capitol case tends to be 1st and second degreet murder. First degree is a premeditated murder, where as second degree is murder where one has hatred or malice in their heart. Lesser murder might be unintentional homicide, or accidental death, or death as a result of mayhem.
A life sentence is usually anything longer than 20 years in prison. While we may see 20 years as not being a true life sentence, in truth, many criminals will find themselves a different person, everyone they know back home will have moved on, parents will likely be dead, and children will have grown up with out their respective parent present. Starting over after thay long a period, ra-enterig Society, amd trying again will literally be starting a new life.
Now, most life sentences aren’t truly 20 year sentences, they are life sentences, but with the possibility of parole after 20 years. The offender will be on parole for the rest of their life, at any time a P.O. may dream them out of their release agreement and back into prison they go.
Now there are those who have been assigned a life sentence without the possibility of parole. These felons will rot in prison for the rest of their lives. This punishment however is reserved for those that would otherwise be eligible for the death penalty, or those who have proved themselves unfit for society through an extended history of extreme offenses.
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