England And Wales
Parliament has set a life sentence as the maximum penalty for many offences, and trial judges can choose to impose it in appropriate cases.
There are several types. Some have been abolished, but those changes were not applied to people already serving them. This page is a plain guide to the most common ones, and if you or someone you love is serving one, we can help you make sense of what it means.
All life sentences work this way, except a whole life order.
1
A judge sets the minimum number of years the person must serve in prison, based on the seriousness of the offence.
2
Once the minimum term has passed, the person stays in prison indefinitely until the Parole Board decides they can be released.
3
After release they are on licence for the rest of their life, supervised by the Probation Service, and can be recalled to prison if they breach their conditions.
The most common types of life sentence in England and Wales. Some no longer exist for new cases, but people sentenced under them are still serving them today.
The sentence for murder, in place since the death penalty was abolished. It includes a minimum tariff that must be served before the person can be considered for parole. If released, they are on a life licence.
Abolished, Still Being Served
Introduced by section 2 of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 for anyone convicted of a second serious offence, unless exceptional circumstances allowed the court to decide otherwise.
Given to ‘dangerous offenders’ who commit a very serious offence, including serious violent, sexual and terror offences. Other legal tests also apply, such as the seriousness of the offence, the person’s dangerousness and any pattern of previous offending.
Abolished, Still Being Served
Imprisonment for Public Protection. An indeterminate sentence with a 99-year licence, intended for ‘serious offenders’ thought to pose a significant risk of serious harm to the public.
Abolished, Still Being Served
Detention for Public Protection, the IPP sentence for people under 18. After IPP and DPP were introduced, discretionary life sentences seemed to be falling out of use, but since IPP was abolished their use appears to be rising again.
The mandatory life sentence for a murder committed under the age of 18. Detainees whose tariffs have not expired are entitled to periodic reviews of their progress, with the possibility of a reduced tariff. Some become eligible for review at the halfway point of their current tariff.
The maximum sentence for someone aged 10 to 17 convicted of an offence for which a discretionary life sentence could be passed on a person over 21.
Imposed on people aged 18 to 20 when convicted of murder. It can also be given as a discretionary sentence.
A newer ‘two strikes’ sentence for offences committed after 3 December 2012: an automatic life sentence for a second ‘listed’ serious sexual or violent offence, with other legal tests also applying.
The person will never be released. No Parole Board review date is set, so there is no chance of release except in exceptional compassionate circumstances.
We help prisoners and their families with parole, recall, progression and mental health pathways, from the start of a sentence through to release and beyond.
