We work collaboratively with governments, policymakers, inter-governmental organisations, civil society and the media to raise awareness of the increasing use of life and long-term sentences, to promote fair and proportionate sentencing which reflects the severity of the crime, and to end the use of life sentences without any possibility of parole.
- We advocate for sentences to be proportionate to the gravity of the crime committed and for the abolition of life sentences without any possibility of parole.
- In convening an informal network of civil society and academic actors on life imprisonment, we monitor and share developments and trends on life imprisonment. We document these annually in our Global Prison Trends series.
- We encourage states to review their criminal legislation in order to ensure that life imprisonment is only used for the most serious offences; reduce the number and type of life-sentence applicable offences that do not meet these criteria; abolish mandatory life sentences without parole; and establish an effective mechanism for reviewing parole.
- We raise awareness of the problematic use of life imprisonment without parole and its consequences for individuals, society and on prison systems, including at the United Nations. We campaign against the trend to replace the death penalty with life sentences without parole.
- We advocate the development of standards and guidelines on the use of life imprisonment, and for research on the growing trend of life imprisonment as an alternative sanction for the death penalty.
- We develop resources for policymakers, prison authorities, members of the judiciary and prison staff, as well as civil society. These include information packs, briefings, training resources and research publications.
- We advocate humane prison conditions for prisoners under life and long-term sentences in line with international standards, and we organise trainings for prison authorities to raise awareness about the international standards that apply.