how many prisoners in the us have life sentences
Life imprisonment in the United States Over 159,000 people were serving life sentences as of 2012, with just under a third—nearly 50,000—serving life without a chance of parole.[1] In 1993 the Times survey found, about 20 percent of all lifers had no chance of parole. By 2004 the number rose to 28 percent.[23]
Recidivism According to an April 2011 report by the Pew Center on the States, the average national recidivism rate for released prisoners is 43%.[2]