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Cadena Perpetua

Definition of Cadena Perpetua

Also known as life imprisonment – is a term referring to the establishment of a sentence that deprives the convicted person of liberty for life until death, or to the maximum extent permitted by law. It is exclusive of extremely serious crimes.

SYNONYMS FOR Cadena Perpetua

  1. Presidio perpetuo – Life imprisonment
  2. Reclusión perpetua – Life imprisonment
  3. Prisión de por vida – Life imprisonment
  4. Condena de por vida – Life sentence

ORIGIN of Cadena Perpetua

Cadena Perpetua began in Spain legally, with the beginning of the so-called liberal state, and would not be eliminated until the penal reform of the Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera.
The two great events of the penal codification of the 19th century -between 1848 and 1870- condemned those who were subjected to life imprisonment to wear an iron chain hanging on their foot, either from the waist or tied and attached to the foot of another condemned person. This is the origin of the name of the famous punishment.
According to the Penal Code of the United States -a place where the use of life imprisonment is excessive-, the maximum sentence is 30 years in prison, plus another 15 years of security, with some possibility of early release.
If the convicted person has served 35 years in prison, he/she may opt for release by a judicial resolution, only under certain conditions established in the criminal law.

CURIOSITIES OF Cadena Perpetua

Life imprisonment is valid only in some countries in the world, such as Canada and the United States.

In Europe, several countries have sentences equivalent to life imprisonment for serious crimes, but after 15 years of imprisonment the cases can be reviewed. Among them are Austria, Poland, Romania, Switzerland and Slovenia.

In 1995, Terry Nichols was sentenced in the United States to 906 life sentences without parole on charges such as arson, first-degree murder and terrorism. This is the highest sentence ever received by a single person.

For corporate corruption, Chamoy Thipyaso was sentenced in Thailand in 1989 to more than 141,000 years in prison, although that country did not provide for life imprisonment but the possibility of defining the years according to the crimes committed.