Life sentences in America today stand at an unprecedented level: as of 2012, 159 ,520 people in prison were serving a life

sentence and 49,081 (30.8%) of them ha ve no possibility for parole. Nationally, one in every nine people in prison tod ay is serving a life sentence.10 Though LWOP is available in nearly every state, 11 such prisoners are disproportionately represented in Florida, Pennsylvania, L ouisiana, California, and Michigan. Combined, these five states account for over half (57.7%) of all LWOP sentences nationwide. In seven states Alabama, Californi a, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Utah, and Washington more than 15% of the pris on population is sentenced to life.12 Additionally, in 22 states and the federal government, at least 35% of the lifer population is ineligible for parole.13 Despite a shift toward determinate sentencing in recent decades, many states mai ntain some form of indeterminate sentencing framework that is applied to paroleeligible lifers. Offenders who fall within this structure can potentially earn p arole within a range of years; in some states, these ranges include an upper lim it of natural life. For example, in Colorado trial judges can sentence people co nvicted of a sex offense to an indeterminate