The Impact of Life Sentences on Prospects for Criminal Justice Reform

• In Event: Policy Panel: The Imperative to Expand Release Options for Men and Women with “Life” and Other Long Prison Sentences

Abstract

The increasing momentum for criminal justice reform has led prominent spokespersons to issue calls for prison population reductions of as much as 50% over the next decade. While this is a welcome shift in the political environment, any substantial reduction in incarceration will be inherently limited unless there is a reconsideration of life- and long-term sentences. In recent years there has been some progress in gaining gubernatorial support for lifer parole, but substantial roadblocks remain.

Author

• Marc Mauer, The Sentencing Project