Life Without Parole

Considering the eco­nom­ic and social costs of cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment, includ­ing the risk of exe­cut­ing inno­cent peo­ple, many believe that life with­out parole, or LWOP, is a prefer­able alter­na­tive to cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment. LWOP is a sen­tenc­ing alter­na­tive in all 27 states that prac­tice the death penal­ty, in addi­tion to the fed­er­al gov­ern­ment and U.S. Military. Of the 23 states that do not prac­tice the death penal­ty, Alaska is the only state that does not per­mit life with­out parole as a possible sentence.

Among the eleven states that have abol­ished the death penal­ty since 2007, all uti­lize sen­tences of life with­out parole. Four states require unan­i­mous jury agree­ment to life with­out parole for the LWOP-eli­gi­ble defen­dant to be sen­tenced. Three states impose an auto­mat­ic LWOP sen­tence if the defen­dant is found guilty of an LWOP-eli­gi­ble crime, and one state — Maryland — requires final sen­tenc­ing by a judge.

* Note that ​“three strikes” laws in some states may make life with­out parole avail­able for at least some offend­ers in those states.

plus District of Columbia

[Alaska does not have life without parole]