The problem of expanding the rights of those sentenced to life imprisonment

Abstract

As of 2023, the issue of life imprisonment is the least regulated in Ukrainian criminal-executive law. Moreover, life imprisonment is the most controversial form of punishment, prompting research into its specific aspects. The purpose of the study is to explore problematic issues related to the rights of those sentenced to life imprisonment for short-term release from the institution serving the sentence. Various methods, including systemic-structural, analytical, comparative, and terminological, were used to achieve this purpose. An analysis of the legal status of those sentenced to life imprisonment in Ukraine concluded that these subjects of criminal-executive legal relations do not have the right to leave the prison, particularly in the presence of exceptional personal circumstances. It was also established that, according to current criminal-executive legislation in Ukraine, only specific categories of prisoners serving a sentence of imprisonment possess such a right, reflecting the essence of the punishment's purpose. The study demonstrates that it is through the regime of legal restrictions that the state has the opportunity to fulfil criminal-executive tasks, including preventing criminal offences by both convicts and other individuals. The legally established status of those sentenced to life imprisonment, especially in terms of legal restrictions, aims to deter not only recidivists but also individuals who may contemplate or prepare to commit such serious criminal offences. If, in 2002, the number of those sentenced to life imprisonment in Ukraine exceeded 100 individuals, by 2022, it had decreased to 23. It is emphasised that expanding the rights of individuals serving a life sentence may lead to social tension and pose a threat to the national security of Ukraine. The results of the study can be used in further regulatory adjustments regarding problematic aspects of life imprisonment