Who is in jail the longest?
Asked by: Stacy Nitzsche | Last update: February 7, 2026Score: 4.7/5 (36 votes)
The longest served prison sentence belongs to Charles Foussard, an Australian who died in custody after serving over 70 years (1903-1974) for murder, while the longest imposed sentence is Chamoy Thipyaso's 141,078 years (served only four years) for Thai fraud; in the US, Joe Ligon served 68 years as a juvenile before release, but many others have extremely long imposed sentences, like Charles Scott Robinson's 30,000 years for murder.
Who was the innocent man spent 40 years in jail?
Wrongfully imprisoned for more than 40 years, US man now faces deportation to India. After serving 43 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, Subramanyam "Subu" Vedam was finally free. New evidence had exonerated him earlier this month of the murder of his former roommate.
What is the longest jail time in the world?
Thailand's world record
The world's longest non-life sentence, according to the "Guinness Book of Records", was imposed on Thai pyramid scheme fraudster Chamoy Thipyaso, who was jailed for 141,078 years in 1989.
What is the oldest person in jail?
Francis Clifford Smith is currently the oldest living prisoner still in jail. Smith is serving a life sentence at the Osborn Correctional Institution for murdering a night watchman named Grover Hart on July 23, 1949. At the time, he was only 23 years old and he has been in prison for 71 years.
Why is Death Row so long?
Death row takes so long primarily due to an extensive, multi-layered legal appeals process designed to prevent executing an innocent person, involving mandatory state and federal reviews to check for fair trials, proper legal application, and potential misconduct, alongside factors like overwhelmed public defenders, complex case investigations, and occasional drug shortages for lethal injections, with the average wait often stretching over a decade or more before execution, if it happens at all.
Who Has Served the Most Time? Ex Cons Rank Themselves
What is 25 years in jail called?
Individuals sentenced to LWOP are not eligible for parole and are expected to spend the rest of their lives in prison. Life With the Possibility of Parole: This sentence allows for the possibility of release after serving a minimum number of years, typically 25 years in California.
How much money do innocent prisoners get?
California Penal Code Section 4900 is the statute that grants relief to those who were erroneously convicted and imprisoned. A successful claim results in a recommendation to the Legislature to provide compensation in the amount of $140 per day of the claimant's wrongful imprisonment.
Which Amazing Race contestant was in jail?
The Amazing Race Season 33 star Ryan Ferguson was awarded $38 million in damages by a jury, after a prior wrongful conviction lawsuit. Ryan, now 40, is not only notable for his status as a reality TV personality before he appeared on The Amazing Race, he gained notoriety for being wrongly imprisoned.
How much is $20 worth in jail?
With $20 per month, the prisoner could at least purchase soap, quality toothpaste (and a quality toothbrush), and batteries for their radio. Even a single check for $15 could allow a prisoner to purchase a few comforts which would traditionally be outside of their reach.
Is 1 day in jail equal to 2 days?
Sentences to county jail
In other words, for every two days of actual time in custody, four days will have been deemed served, or essentially half-time credit. (§ 4019(f).) The change is made effective for all crimes committed on or after October 1, 2011.
Who was the first ever prisoner?
The first name appearing on the list is that of Charles Currier, a 22-year-old cabinet maker, received January 25, 1851. He was convicted of grand larceny out of Sacramento County. According to news reports at the time, his crime was “horse stealing” landing him two years behind bars.
What is the biggest jail break ever recorded?
In September 1971 Raúl Sendic and 105 other Tupamaro guerillas, plus five non-political prisoners, escaped from a Uruguayan prison through a tunnel 91m 298ft long.
Who was the man who got out of jail after 68 years?
After the Supreme Court had ruled in Montgomery v. Louisiana that all mandatory juvenile life without parole sentences were retroactively unconstitutional, he was released without parole in February 2021 after a federal court vacated his sentence, having spent 68 years in prison.
Do prisoners pay for being in jail?
At least 43 states authorize charging incarcerated people for the cost of their own imprisonment. At least 35 states authorize charging them for some medical expenses. 40 states and the federal prison system charge incarcerated people medical copays.
Do prisoners keep their money?
Sometimes prisons seize large portions of an incarcerated person's trust account balance under the rationale that the individual owes the prison system for their daily room and board. Sometimes the money simply disappears as a result of embezzlement or error.
What is the largest payout for wrongful imprisonment?
When the judge read the verdict, the courtroom was stunned. McCollum and Brown were awarded the largest wrongful conviction verdict in U.S. history: $75 million total. But for the brothers, it wasn't about the money. It was about the joy they felt because the jury heard their stories and believed them.
How long is a lifetime in jail?
As its name implies, an offender who is given a life sentence is sentenced to spend the rest of their life in a prison cell as a punishment for committing a crime. This type of sentence is reserved for the most heinous of crimes, such as murder.
What does 22 55 mean in jail?
22-55 is a federal inmate back down to a local jail for a hearing or re-sentencing. Like if he was in prison already another investigation put new charges on him. Or he stabbed someone in there and went down for a trial.
What do 7 life sentences mean?
A "7 years to life" sentence means someone must serve a minimum of 7 years in prison before being eligible for parole; after that time, a parole board decides if they can be released under supervision, but release is not guaranteed and they could stay in prison for the rest of their life. It's an indeterminate sentence (unlike life without parole), giving a chance for release after the initial period, with good behavior potentially shortening the time before parole review.
Which country has no death penalty?
DENMARK abolished the death penalty for all crimes. LUXEMBOURG, NICARAGUA, and NORWAY abolished the death penalty for all crimes. BRAZIL, FIJI, and PERU abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes.
What do death row inmates do all day?
Death row inmates spend most of their days in extreme isolation, typically 22-23 hours in their cells, with activities focused on limited recreation (often alone), meals in-cell, reading, writing, legal work (appeals), and minimal social/family contact, all under constant surveillance, leading to a monotonous routine filled with waiting and limited human interaction.
How much does death row cost?
In total, the death penalty system cost California taxpayers $137 million each year, the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice found, whereas permanent imprisonment for all those currently on death row would cost just $11 million.