This new and important title explores one of the most contentious and sensitive topics in criminal justice: the release and resettlement of life-sentenced offenders. Life after Life Imprisonment provides an in-depth analysis of the post-prison experiences of 138 discretionary life-sentenced offenders, all of whom were released from prison across England and Wales during the mid-1990s. Using accessible and engaging data the book examines key legal developments within the criminal justice system for discretionary life-sentenced offenders, explores the frontline experiences of criminal justice...

Life imprisonment is the most severe penalty that can be imposed by the criminal justice system. Despite this, it is a relatively under-researched form of punishment. No meaningful attempt has been made to understand its human rights implications. This important collection fills that gap by addressing these two key questions: namely what is life imprisonment and what human rights are relevant to it? These questions are explored from the perspective of a range of jurisdictions, and a dual perspective drawing on both empirical and doctrinal research is offered. Under the editorship of two...

Life imprisonment has replaced the death penalty as the most common sentence imposed for heinous crimes worldwide. Consequently, it has become the leading issue of international criminal justice reform. In the first survey of its kind, Dirk van Zyl Smit and Catherine Appleton argue for a human rights-based reappraisal of this harsh punishment.