Legal Definitions - back-to-back life sentences

Definition: Back-to-back life sentences refer to when a defendant is given two or more consecutive life terms for committing multiple crimes. A life sentence usually means the defendant must serve 15 to 25 years in prison before being eligible for parole, but back-to-back life sentences can increase the number of years they must serve before being considered for parole. The purpose of back-to-back life sentences is to limit the possibility of parole for defendants who have committed multiple serious crimes.

• Terry Nichols was given 161 life sentences and 9,300 years without parole for his role in the Oklahoma City Bombing.
• Michael J Devlin was given 74 life sentences for multiple counts of kidnapping, armed criminal action, forced sodomy, child pornography, attempted murder, and more.
• Gary Ridgway, also known as the "Green River Killer," was given 48 life sentences for murdering women between 1982 and 1998.

These examples illustrate how back-to-back life sentences can be used to ensure that defendants who have committed multiple serious crimes serve a longer time in prison before being considered for parole.