A life sentence means a person is sentenced to prison for a very serious crime, often for the rest of their life. In some places, the person may still be eligible for parole after serving a minimum number of years, while in others it means no release at all.

In plain language

  • It is not usually a fixed number of years everywhere. The meaning changes by country and sometimes by state.
  • A judge may set a minimum time before parole can even be considered.
  • If someone is released, they can remain under strict supervision for life, sometimes called being “on licence”.
  • In the strictest form, called life without parole or a whole life order, the person never gets released except in exceptional circumstances.

Simple example

If someone gets a life sentence for murder, that does not always mean they will literally die in prison. It can mean they must stay imprisoned for many years first, and then only maybe be allowed to ask for release.

TL;DR

A life sentence usually means prison for an extremely serious crime, with either no release or a possible release only after many years and under strict conditions.