life sentence
No release date
A life sentence is a prison term lasting the remainder of a convicted person's natural life, typically imposed for murder or other grave offenses.
In practice, many life sentences include the possibility of parole after a minimum period: He's serving life with the possibility of parole after twenty-five years.
A life sentence without parole means the prisoner will die incarcerated.
Informally, any seemingly endless obligation: Marriage felt like a life sentence to him.
Confinement for offenders
- imprisonmentLegal detention in jail
- penitentiaryFacility for convicted criminals
- cellblockPrison housing unit
- inmateConfined facility resident
convict · warden · solitary · confinement · corrections · correctional · facility · bars
Firmly held belief
- verdictOfficial court decision
- trialJudicial examination of claims
- judgeOne who decides
- juryLegal decision-making body
prosecution · defense · appeal · guilty · plea · testimony · evidence · courtroom
Body granting early freedom
- reintegrationRestoration to a group
- counselingProfessional guidance for problems
- vocational trainingJob-skill education
- educationSystematic development of mind
therapy · good behavior · early release · commutation · restorative justice · recidivism · reentry · prison reform
Deliberate unlawful killing
- homicideCausing another's death
- felonySerious criminal offense
- manslaughterUnlawful killing without forethought
- kidnappingUnlawful seizure of person
rape · robbery · assault · terrorism · trafficking · arson · aggravated · serial killer
Fixed without end
- irreversibleCannot be undone
- perpetuityInfinite continuation of time
- terminalAt the endpoint
- irrevocableCannot be undone
unappealable · consecutive · indefinite · lasting · inescapable
prison
Confinement for offenders
- imprisonmentLegal detention in jail
- penitentiaryFacility for convicted criminals
- cellblockPrison housing unit
inmate · convict · warden · solitary · confinement · corrections · correctional · facility · bars · custody
conviction
Firmly held belief
jury · prosecution · defense · appeal · guilty · plea · testimony · evidence · courtroom · attorney
parole board
Body granting early freedom
- reintegrationRestoration to a group
- counselingProfessional guidance for problems
- vocational trainingJob-skill education
education · therapy · good behavior · early release · commutation · restorative justice · recidivism · reentry · prison reform · second chance
murder
Deliberate unlawful killing
- homicideCausing another's death
- felonySerious criminal offense
- manslaughterUnlawful killing without forethought
kidnapping · rape · robbery · assault · terrorism · trafficking · arson · aggravated · serial killer · capital offense
permanent
Fixed without end
- irreversibleCannot be undone
- perpetuityInfinite continuation of time
- terminalAt the endpoint
irrevocable · unappealable · consecutive · indefinite · lasting · inescapable
- "life" phraseslifeblood, nightlife, wildlife, lowlife, highlife
- Incarcerationcell blocks, prison conditions, prison guards, prison labor, prison reform
- Criminal Penaltiesprison, jail, incarceration, death penalty, criminal fine
- prison sentencesprison term, jail time, mandatory minimum, doing time, hard time
- criminal justicearrest, jail, court, prison, crime
- prisonsprison, inmates, cells, prisons, prisoner
life sentenceacquittal
Formal clearing of charges
time served · suspended sentence · probation · slap on the wrist · release
life sentenceacquittal
Formal clearing of charges
exoneration · not guilty verdict · dismissal · freedom · charges dropped
life, sentence, lifetime, lifelong, lifelike, sentenced, sentences, lifesaver, lifespan