The most severe punishment provided for by the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is the death penalty. This preventive measure is used against the most dangerous criminals. However, since April 1997, the death penalty cannot be imposed or executed. Accordingly, today the most severe punishment is life imprisonment.
Some countries, in particular the United States, do not limit themselves to one life sentence. Particularly dangerous criminals can receive 2, 3, or even 10 life sentences. Today, Russian legislators have begun to adopt this practice. Below we will look at why prisoners are given two life sentences, and how this is implemented in practice.
How many lives does it take to serve a prison sentence in America?
If you commit a serious crime, you will receive a life sentence. Committed two serious crimes - get two life sentences. Modern sentences in the United States can be surprising in the terms for which a criminal is deprived of his freedom. Many serious crimes carry sentences of 20, 30 or even 50 years in prison. The latter option is considered to be a de facto life sentence.
There are 162 thousand prisoners serving life sentences in American prisons. Preventive measures are not only used for violent criminal offenses. You can be imprisoned for life for drug-related cases or for betraying your homeland. Punishment is applied even to minors if they are decided to be tried as adults.
If a person has committed several serious crimes, then in US judicial practice the sentence for each is pronounced separately and the terms are summed up. As a result, the offender can be sentenced to 100, 200 years or more.
In some particularly egregious cases, the initial sentence is substantially greater than the generally accepted prison term. For example, in 1994, a brutal pedophile who raped six children was convicted in Oklahoma. The jury demanded 5,000 years for each child. Today, Charles Robinson is serving a sentence of 30 thousand years.
In 1996, the trial of robber, rapist and kidnapper Alan McLaurin took place in the same state. He was sentenced to 12 thousand 750 years in prison. And his accomplice Darron Anderson received 11 thousand years in prison. No appeals helped to cancel the punishment.
The most ruthless American maniac of the 20th century, John Gacy, who raped and killed more than thirty people, was sentenced to twelve death sentences and more than twenty life sentences. And although John Gacy was executed only once, the large-scale sentence made it possible to achieve fair punishment for each victim.
Following the example of America, long sentences are imposed in other countries. For example, in 1989, for serious financial fraud, the Thai criminal Chamoy Thipyaso and her accomplices were sentenced to 141 thousand years in prison. This case is considered unprecedented and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records for the largest life sentence.
Why do this? It is clear that a person will not be able to serve the entire sentence.
The thing is that after 15-30 years in prison, a life-long prisoner can qualify for early release. Long sentences guarantee that a dangerous repeat offender will not be released. Even if he manages to obtain parole for one of the terms, he immediately begins to serve the sentence for the next one. © Ribalych.ru
Serving life imprisonment
Separately from other convicts in special regime correctional colonies, those sentenced to life imprisonment, as well as convicts for whom the death penalty was replaced by pardon with life imprisonment (Part 2 of Article 80 of the Penal Code of the Russian Federation, Article 126 of the Penal Code of the Russian Federation) serve their sentences.
Those sentenced to life imprisonment are placed in cells, as a rule, of no more than two people. At the request of convicts and in other necessary cases by order of the head of a correctional colony, if a threat to the personal safety of convicts arises, they may be kept in solitary confinement (Part 1 of Article 127 of the Penal Code of the Russian Federation).
Enhanced security measures are applied to persons serving life imprisonment.
Examples of large deadlines
30,000 years
They awarded that much to the child rapist. The criminal received 5,000 years in prison for each child who suffered from his inclinations. At the same time, the court noted that the man will serve each period one after another.
12,750 years
This sentence was given to a person convicted of several rapes, kidnapping, assault, and robbery. It is noteworthy that the court initially gave 4275 years. The criminal considered the sentence too harsh and filed an appeal, but in the end he received many times more - 21,250 years. Then there were more revisions of the case, and the final verdict was 12,750 years.
2 life and 10,000 years
This punishment was received by a man who killed his wife, mother-in-law and another person. Due to two lifelong sentences, he had no chance of being released on parole. He tried several times to appeal the verdict, but to no avail.
67 life sentences
Before the trial, the criminal was in a high position and at the same time managed to organize massive terrorist attacks against Israelis. He had several accomplices, who were also given many life sentences.
40 life and 60 years
This is how much they condemned a man who attracted his own daughters to intimacy. He confessed to his crime, so the jury made a unanimous decision.
Why such long deadlines?
Americans do not have a maximum prison term limit for those criminals who are convicted of several acts at once. If a person has committed a number of offenses, the measures are subject to summation. Therefore, in the end, a decent amount of time is accumulated.
But they have a minimum period, after serving which they can ask for early release. But with the help of this law, even the most brutal criminals have a chance to see freedom. To prevent this, American judges have the right to sentence a person to several life sentences. It turns out that if a prisoner receives parole for one case, he will still serve further time, since he has another term.
Conditions of parole may vary from state to state in the United States. For example, in Oklahoma, people are released early after serving 85% of their sentence. But if the total amount of periods of imprisonment is in the thousands, then there is no chance of being released.
For what crimes can life imprisonment be imposed?
Life imprisonment, as the most severe type of punishment currently used, is assigned exclusively for the commission of especially serious crimes that encroach on life, against public safety, against public health and public morality, against the sexual integrity of minors under fourteen years of age, against peace and the safety of humanity.
Life imprisonment is imposed for crimes provided for by the following norms of the Special Part of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:
- Part 2 Art. 105 of the Criminal Code - murder under aggravating circumstances;
- Part 5 Art. 131 of the Criminal Code – rape;
- Part 5 Art. 132 of the Criminal Code - violent acts of a sexual nature;
- part 6 art. 134 of the Criminal Code - sexual intercourse with a person who has reached the age of 12, but has not reached the age of 14, committed by a person who has a criminal record for a previously committed crime against the sexual integrity of a minor;
- Part 3 Art. 205 of the Criminal Code - terrorist act;
- Part 4 Art. 205.1 of the Criminal Code - assistance to terrorist activities;
- Art. 205.3 of the Criminal Code - undergoing training for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activities;
- Art. 205.4 of the Criminal Code - organization of a terrorist community and participation in it;
- Part 1 Art. 205.5 of the Criminal Code - organizing the activities of a terrorist organization and participating in the activities of such an organization
- Part 4 Art. 206 of the Criminal Code - hostage taking;
- Part 4 Art. 210 of the Criminal Code - organization of a criminal community (criminal organization) or participation in it (it);
- Part 4 Art. 211 of the Criminal Code - hijacking of an air or water transport vessel or railway rolling stock;
- Part 5 Art. 228.1 of the Criminal Code - illegal drug trafficking;
- Part 4 Art. 229.1 of the Criminal Code - smuggling of narcotic drugs;
- Art. 277 of the Criminal Code - encroachment on the life of a statesman or public figure;
- Part 3 Art. 281 Criminal Code – sabotage;
- Art. 295 of the Criminal Code - an attempt on the life of a person carrying out justice or preliminary investigation;
- Art. 317 of the Criminal Code - encroachment on the life of a law enforcement officer;
- Art. 357 of the Criminal Code - genocide.
- Art. 361 of the Criminal Code - act of international terrorism
Conditions of parole from serving life imprisonment
Those sentenced to life imprisonment can be released on parole, but only after serving a twenty-five-year sentence and if the convicted person has no persistent violations during the previous three years, and if the court concludes that the convicted person does not need to further serve his sentence. A person who has committed a new grave or especially grave crime while serving a life imprisonment is not subject to parole (Part 5 of Article 79 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). If the court refuses parole, a second application is possible no earlier than after three years (Part 10 of Article 175 of the Penal Code of the Russian Federation).
