Sentenced to 25 Years to Life: What Does it Mean?

Sentenced to 25 Years to Life: What Does it Mean?

A sentence of 25 to life is very open-ended and frequently, it’s not in the offender’s favor. If your boyfriend is facing a 25 to life sentence, the bad news is he could potentially spend the rest of his life in prison. The good news is that after 25 years he will be eligible to begin trying for parole.
  • In most cases, 25 to life is reserved for the most violent crimes. Murders, violence against children, sexual crimes that end in murder or great bodily injury are examples of such crimes. Many states impose the Three-strikes law, meaning after two convictions for serious felonies throughout a lifetime, the third conviction will bring about a 25 to life sentence.
  • A 25 to life sentence means that the offender cannot even approach the parole board for a hearing until he has been incarcerated for 25 years. In some cases, depending on how the sentencing judge writes the order, the offender is entitled to earn good time credits to reduce the 25 years before he can ask for parole.
  • After the offender serves the minimum 25 years and requests a parole hearing, the parole board decides whether or not to grant parole. If granted, parole the offender will remain on parole supervision for the rest of his life. If the parole board turns him down, he will remain in prison until his next eligible parole hearing date.
Related: Should I attend my husband’s parole hearing? Final thoughts: Parole boards will consider whether or not an offender has attended classes to better himself, gone through substance abuse counseling, and taken responsibility for his crimes.