Locked Away for Life: New Report from The Sentencing Project Unveils Alarming Data on Long-Term Imprisonment

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – The Sentencing Project has released  “A Matter of Life: The Scope and Impact of Life and Long-Term Imprisonment in the United States,” finding that one in six people in prison – nearly 200,000 people nationwide – are serving life sentences. This comprehensive 50-state “lifer census” report examines the prevalence and implications of life sentences across the country, highlighting the disproportionate impact of such extreme sentences on people of color and the inefficacy of punitive measures in improving community safety.

Key findings from the 2025 report, using data from 2024 include:

• The U.S. represents 40% of the world’s life-sentenced population, despite comprising only 4% of the global population.
• One in six individuals in prison (16%) – nearly 200,000 people – is serving a life sentence.
• More people were serving life without parole in 2024 than ever: 56,245 people, a 68% increase since 2003.
• Nearly half of individuals serving life sentences and more than half of those sentenced to life without parole are Black.
• One in 11 women in prison is serving a life sentence.
• Almost 70,000 individuals serving life committed their offenses before the age of 25.
• People aged 55 and older account for nearly two-fifths of people serving life sentences.

“The United States’ heavy investment in extreme punishments, such as life imprisonment, is ineffective crime prevention,” said Kara Gotsch, Executive Director of The Sentencing Project. “Communities will not be safer unless we build stronger public health, education, and services for vulnerable people. The release of elderly and rehabilitated people from prison will not impact crime rates, but will reserve public dollars for more effective safety solutions.”

The “A Matter of Life” report provides several recommendations, including:

• Abolishing life without parole sentences, which disregard the potential for rehabilitation.
• Capping imprisonment at 20 years for adults and 15 years for youth, except in rare circumstances.
• Implementing sentence review mechanisms to evaluate and adjust sentences after 10 years of incarceration.
• Reforming parole systems to ensure fair assessments based on individual transformation and community safety.

“This report is a temperature check on our criminal legal system and it tells us that policymakers must champion more substantial reforms to achieve fairness and efficacy,” said Celeste Barry, Program Associate at The Sentencing Project and co-author of the report. “Extreme sentences neither promote community safety nor do they acknowledge the potential for change that so many people undergo, especially as they age. It is time to adopt policies that prioritize justice, second chances, and more effective approaches to preventing crime.”

The full report, “A Matter of Life: The Scope and Impact of Life and Long-Term Imprisonment in the United States,” coauthored by Ashley Nellis, Ph.D., former Co-Director of Research, and Celeste Barry is available here. Experts at The Sentencing Project are available for interviews on request.