Why are some people sentenced to life in prison... plus 1000 years?

Question

I think that's pretty silly, I mean of course the crimes that they committed had to be terrible but isn't life in prison without parole enough? Why add in the "plus 1000 years?"

Answer 1

The "plus 1000 years" is because there is no such thing in some states as "life in prison without parole". Parole is determined by a parole board, not by a judge. Once the judge hands the criminal over to the corrections system, the warden and the parole board can and do adjust the time.



Consider recent cases involving Lindsey Lohan and Paris Hilton. Both were sentenced to several weeks in jail, however, the warden deemed that due to prison overcrowding and the fact that they were not dangerous felons (and the fact that their celebrity status meant that he really had to put extra guards on them and/or not let them mix with the general prison population, etc. - i.e. keeping them in jail was going to cost more than keeping your average Joe), they were released mere hours after they were put into prison. I know, this is a totally different situation, however, the judges in both cases were frustrated that their sentences were not carried out and they were concerned that the message is, famous people don't have to go to jail. The point is, after sentencing, the prison system can parole the inmate early, if it wants to, but when you tack on say 1000 years to the sentence, even they can't get around a number that big. It is one of the few ways that Judges can really make a sentence stick.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

It's not quite like that, it's like 20 years to life. Meaning at least 20 years, and they are eligible for parole after that. But they could never make parole and be in there forever.



Some people, due to crazy amounts of crimes, do get sentenced to 100+ years or more in prison.



That's because each crime has it's own punishment, lets just say murder was 20 years, if they did 5 murders, that would be 100 years. It's not like "oh, we prosecuted him 5 times already... there is no point in more charges" the families of the victims need closure, and though he will be in prison already, everything needs it's own sentence, and what if some of the crimes he is later cleared for? He might get a couple of those 20 year sentences cleared or something due to technicalities, and now it's 60.

Answer 4

Judges issue sentences like that to make sure they never get out of prison.

Answer 5

Thats because if they have a heart attack and die, then revived that would end their life sentence.

1,000 years is an added bonus just to be sure.

Answer 6

Just to illustrate to law breakers there is a lonnnnng sh!tload of time they can serve if they don't achieve the death penalty.

Answer 7

it's called MAKING A POINT



which went right over your head......