Question 1: A life sentence with the additional condition that the person never be allowed parole "life" means life for those receiving an LWOP sentence. LWOP sentences are usually imposed on those convicted of murder, but habitual property offenders have also been given such sentences. Long-term incapacitation of violent or habitual offenders may be sound policy, but how much time is enough? In one large-scale study, only one fifth of lifers who are released after long stays (15-30 years) in prison were rearrested within 3 years versus two thirds of non-lifers who were released. Old age is the best "cure" for criminal behavior that we have, so perhaps releasing "lifers" after 20 to 30 years of imprisonment is both humane and fiscally responsible. Given the ever-increasing medical needs of people as they age, elderly inmates add a highly disproportionate financial burden on the taxpayer. When an offender is sentenced to life without parole, it means they will spend the rest of their life in prison without the possibility of being released on parole. This sentence is typically reserved for serious crimes such as murder, where the court determines that the offender should never be allowed back into society due to the severity of their actions. It differs from a death sentence in that the individual remains alive but incarcerated indefinitely.

Question 2: In capital murder cases, Texas juries previously could sentence an offender to death by lethal injection or to life in prison, which meant that after 40 years the offender could be considered for parole. However, after commuting the death sentences of the 28 offenders to life, the Governor also signed into law a new bill that prohibits parole in life sentences, but it is not to be applied retroactively. For those offenders sentenced to life after September 1, 2005, life in prison in Texas is life without possibility of parole. Lethal injection is a method of execution used in some states in the United States and in other countries. It involves injecting a combination of drugs into the condemned person with the intention of causing death quickly and painlessly. The debate over whether lethal injection constitutes "cruel and unusual punishment" hinges on concerns about the potential for pain and suffering during the process, particularly if the drugs or procedure are mishandled.

Use information above to answer the following questions:

Section XVI:

1. Explain what it means when an offender is sentenced to life without parole

2. What is lethal injection? Do you believe it is "cruel and unusual punishment"? Why or why not?

Reference:

Stohr, M., Walsh, A., & Hemmens, C. (2013). Corrections: A text/reader (2rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.