On a life in prison sentence you serve at least 25 to 30 years before coming up for parole if you're sentenced to life with parole.
However if you're sentenced to life in prison without parole then you serve the remaining years of your life in prison and your prison sentence lasts until the day you die.
That means you remain in prison until you die and don't get out until they take your body out of the prison.
Even with life with parole there's still no guarantee that you will be released or granted parole.
The amount of years that a life sentence is can range from a minimum of 25 years to 75 years before parole may be granted.
However life sentences can range from life with parole to life without parole.
For a life sentence with parole a person sentenced to life with parole has to serve a minimum of 25 years in prison before being eligible for parole.
After 25 years on a life with parole sentence the prisoner can can then go up against a parole board and discuss why they should be released and how they plan to carry on their life and their goals if released.
However life with parole does not mean that the person will be granted parole and the life with parole prisoner may still wind up staying in prison for the rest of their life.
If denied the parole the life with parole inmate can see the parole board again after a certain time period which can range from 5 to 10 years or longer.
Life without parole is when the prisoner stays in prison for the rest of their lives and remains their in prison until they die.
Once you get a life without parole sentence it means you're never leaving prison until you die.
Those sentenced to life in prison are given a specific number of years that they must serve before becoming eligible for parole.
For first degree murder, that is 25 years.
However that does NOT mean that you will get parole after 25 years.
It only means that you can apply for parole and possible release from prison.