Virtual Life Sentences: An Exploratory Study

Virtual life sentences are sentences with a term of years that exceed an individual’s natural life expectancy. This exploratory study is one of the first to collect data that establish the existence, prevalence, and scope of virtual life sentences in state prisons in the United States. Initial data...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Henry, Jessica S. 1969- (Author) ; Pugh, Bai-Eyse (Author) ; Salvatore, Christopher 1974- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2018
In: The prison journal
Year: 2018, Volume: 98, Issue: 3, Pages: 294-313
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
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Keywords:
death penalty
Death-in-prison sentences
Life sentences
Life Without Parole
Punishment
Description
Summary:Virtual life sentences are sentences with a term of years that exceed an individual’s natural life expectancy. This exploratory study is one of the first to collect data that establish the existence, prevalence, and scope of virtual life sentences in state prisons in the United States. Initial data reveal that more than 31,000 people in 26 states are serving virtual life sentences for violent and nonviolent offenses, and suggest racial disparities in the distribution of these sentences. This study also presents potential policy implications and suggestions for future research.
ISSN:1552-7522
DOI:10.1177/0032885518764915