Are offenders sentenced to life eligible for parole?
Section 745.6 of the Criminal Code provides offenders convicted of first or second degree murder the opportunity to apply for a reduction in the number of years they must serve in prison before becoming eligible for parole. Also known as the “faint hope” clause, Section 745 seeks to provide a good behavior incentive to offenders sentenced to life in prison by affording them the opportunity to seek parole eligibility status sooner than their sentence permits. A conviction of first degree murder automatically carries the sentence of life without the possibility of parole until 25 years. A conviction of second degree murder sentences the offender to life without the possibility of parole anywhere from 10 to 25 years (set by judge at sentencing). Offenders with a parole ineligibility period of more than 15 years may apply for review of that ineligibility period under Section 745. Section 745 allows those offenders to apply for a hearing after serving 15 years of their sentence. The offende
