Social Rehabilitation During and After a Life Sentence: A Human Rights-Based Approach

Social rehabilitation and life imprisonment are seemingly a contradiction in terminus. Yet, the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) that all incarcerated people, including those serving life sentences, must be offered the possibility of rehabilitation and the prospect of release if rehabilitation is achieved, raises the question of how rehabilitation in the context of life imprisonment should be understood. The aim of this chapter is to unpack this contradiction by analysing different aspects of rehabilitation and their significance for life imprisonment. It will notably highlight that the lack of a clear understanding of (social) rehabilitation has led member states to interpret and apply the concept of rehabilitation differently; that is, as it fits in their respective national legislations, with diverging implications for penal practice.