Life imprisonment

Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted criminals are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives (or until pardoned, paroled, or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that warrant life imprisonment are usually violent and/or dangerous. Examples of crimes that result in life sentences are murder, torture, terrorism, child abuse resulting in death, rape, espionage, treason, drug trafficking, drug possession, human trafficking, severe fraud and financial crimes, aggravated criminal damage, arson, hate crime, kidnapping, burglary, and robbery, piracy, aircraft hijacking, and genocide.

Quotes

• Execution kills instantly, life-imprisonment kills by degrees. Who is the more humane executioner, one who kills you in a few seconds or one who draws the life out of you incessantly, for years?
  • Anton Chekov, "The Bet" (1889)
  • S. Koteliansky & J. M. Murray, tr., The Bet and Other Stories (Boston: John W. Luce & Co., 1915)

• [In the castle dungeons]
  Spook: Turnkey, what's the meaning of life?
  Turnkey: There aint no time off for good behavior.
  • The Wizard of Id