Life sentence without possibility of parole

Lissa10 · #1 09-02-2018, 02:31 AM

My good friend was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole for murder in 2015. Does he have a chance to ever be released? Or is there no chance? Can he appeal someday or something? I just can not believe that he is doomed to die in prison!

MizzyMuffling · #2 09-02-2018, 03:39 AM

I just googled it and I’m afraid it means „natural life“ - but there are others on here with more fundamental knowledge.
I’m sorry!

Death in prison is a certain sentence: Prisoners are not released early. No one sentenced to life without parole has ever been released on parole, in California or in any other state. Prisoners sentenced to LWOP actually remain in prison for the rest of their lives and die in prison.

**fbopnomore** · #3 09-03-2018, 05:09 PM

Unless the current laws change, or he can successfully appeal his sentence he will not be eligible for an early release from prison, but a change in the future is not impossible.

choclgs · #4 10-06-2018, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lissa10

My good friend was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole for murder in 2015. Does he have a chance to ever be released? Or is there no chance? Can he appeal someday or something? I just can not believe that he is doomed to die in prison!

There will be legislation addressing sentencing in the upcoming year. The hope is to include lifers, giving them at least the chance of parole if they meet certain conditions. This is not written in stone yet but many of the state's senators have felt the overcrowding in SCDC needs to be addressed and it has a great deal to do with sentencing laws.

**maytayah** · #5 10-06-2018, 12:06 PM

It means a natural life sentence with no parole. However legislation is changing. I think unless he is successful in appeal he will serve a long sentence, but a change in the law is a possibility.

yourself · #6 10-07-2018, 01:35 PM

After trial and sentence, there is a direct appeal in most cases. The case is appealed and so is the sentence. It is unlikely he will win there as trial is the best chance most people have of getting the best outcome.

After that, unless he can afford successive appeals, he’s pretty stuck. He can start working on his prison resume now, making sure to be right-up free, completing as many programs as possible, doing any education he can, having a job and earning skills whenever possible. The idea is to do as much as he can to rehabilitate himself in the hopes that a few decades from now, he can submit a successful clemency application to the Governor and have his sentence commuted.

Generally, LWOP is called the “toe tag parole” or “the other death sentence”. You and those who care about him can engage in efforts to change the law, support sentencing reform, and make it so that he can get relief that way. A good place to start networking with others going through the same thing and find general information is https://www.theotherdeathpenalty.org

choclgs · #7 10-08-2018, 09:02 AM

This blog may offer some insight in what's taking place in South Carolina when it comes to LWOP:

S.C. CRIMINAL DEFENSE: LIFE-WITHOUT-PAROLE REFORMS IN FOCUS
https://www.mattbodmanlaw.com/posts/...arole-reforms/