Abstract
In many U.S. states, the number of inmates serving life with or without parole has skyrocketed in recent decades. In Alabama, a state with particularly high incarceration rates, approximately every sixth inmate is serving a life sentence. This research investigates which specific factors led to Alabama’s extensive use of life sentences. Findings suggest that Alabama’s lifer population largely stems from an inadvertent application of the state’s Habitual Felony Offender Statute. Furthermore, the state’s stringent discretionary parole practices have minimized the chances of release for parole-eligible lifers. These factors have contributed to prison overcrowding and the aging of inmates.
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