Life imprisonment in Sweden
Life imprisonment in Sweden is a term of imprisonment for an indeterminate length. Swedish law states that the most severe punishment is "prison for 10 (18 in the case of murder) years or life." However, a prisoner may apply to the government for clemency, commuting the life sentence to a set number of years, after which standard Swedish parole regulations apply. Due to new legislation taking effect in January 2022, offenders committing murder at the age of 18 can now be sentenced to life imprisonment. Previously, only those over the age of 21 on the day  the crime was committed could be sentenced to life imprisonment. Records and statistics. In October 2015, 142 inmates served life sentences in Sweden, all excluding one were convicted of murder (including accessory, attempt and incitement to murder). One was convicted of genocide (Stanislas Mbanenande, convicted for the role he played in the Rwandan genocide). Seven of those who served life sentences were women. Longest-serving inmates. In 2006, convicted murderer Leif Peters died in psychiatric care after 39 years of confinement. As of 2011, Leif Axmyr, who, in 1982, killed his former girlfriend Ulla-Britt Jacobsson and her new fiancée  Tommy Larsson, has spent nearly three decades in prison. He held the longest record of ongoing confinement, during which Axmyr filed eleven appeals. In 2010 his imprisonment was overturned in favor of a determinate sentence of 46 years, but this appeal was itself overturned and a further appeal to the Supreme Court of Sweden was denied. In 2016, he was finally released after having his sentence converted to 51 years imprisonment, meaning he could leave on probation after 34 years inside (two thirds of the sentence). His effective sentence was thus the longest for many years, although there have been  psychiatric inmates effectively imprisoned for longer periods than Axmyr. Commutation. Increased criticism from prison authorities, prisoners and victims led to a revision of practices and in 2006, a new law was passed which gave prisoners the right to apply to have a sentence commuted to a determined sentence at the Örebro District Court. A prisoner must serve at least 10 years in prison before applying and the set sentence cannot be under 18 years (with 1/3 of the sentence suspended), the longest determined sentence allowed under Swedish law. When granting a determinate sentence, the court takes into account the  crime, the prisoner's behavior in prison, public safety and the chance of rehabilitation. However, some prisoners may never be released, considered too dangerous to the public. Of those who have been given set sentences under the new law, the sentences have ranged between 25 and 31 years. In 2007, the Swedish Supreme Court ruled that ten years in prison should overrule life imprisonment as the "general option" for premeditated murder. In 2009, judicial discretion and options to sentence people to more than 10 years but less than life became available. Under the new law, anyone convicted of murder will  be sentenced to 10-18 years' imprisonment or life in special circumstances. On average, when there are no special circumstances, a sentence of 14 years may be imposed. In mitigating circumstances, the possible sentence ranges from 10-13 years. In aggravating circumstances, the possible sentence is 15-18 years or life. In 2020, a new law was passed that increased the likelihood of a person convicted of murder receiving a life sentence. Previously, only 30% of murder cases with aggravating circumstances resulted in life imprisonment; this new legislation resulted in an increase of 50% of life sentences imposed the previous  year.