degsme - you are wrong about the sentence imposed on Charles Manson at least. He was originally sentenced to death but then California abolished the death penalty. At the time of his sentencing, life without parole was not used (if it even existed as it is used now) so a life sentence was not really a life sentence. All those on death row at the time were converted to life and no specific instructions about parole were given so by default they became eligible for parole. Another factor with the idea of life without parole was that in the past it was thought that as people matured, the risk of them committing another violent crime decreased. This is a significant reason why the sentences in Europe are structured as they are. For many offenders this is probably true but for some, and I think most believe Manson to be in this category, the risk never goes away. The high profile cases of pedophiles reoffending, such as the man recently executed in Florida, are proof of this.