What does 20 to life mean?

Answer 1

It means the offender so sentenced will serve a minimum of twenty years before being eligible for parole.

In the state of Michigan, it means about a 99% chance the offender will do life in prison.

Answer 2

In many cases, it means that the convicted felon will serve a minimum of ten years in prison. After ten years, they'll go in front of a parole board and give reasons to be let go, and the parole board will make a decision on whether to let the individual back out into society, or to leave the individual locked up for another year.

If they are not let out, after this "another year", they will go back in front of the parole board until they are either let out, or they serve twenty years (the maximum sentence).

After twenty years, the individual is released, whether the parole board likes it or not.

Answer 3

"Twenty to life" is a sentence of retributive justice. If a judge gives a convicted criminal that sentence, it means that that person is to serve not less than 20 years in prison and may, if he or she lives longer than 20 years, serve until death. (In practice, the time served may be reduced for various reasons.).

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