<P> This is a list of longest prison sentences served by a single person, worldwide, without a period of freedom followed by a second conviction . These cases rarely coincide with the longest prison sentences given, because some countries have laws that don't allow sentences without parole or for convicts to remain in prison beyond a given number of years (regardless of their original conviction). </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Name </Th> <Th> Sentence start </Th> <Th> Sentence end </Th> <Th> Sentence duration </Th> <Th> Country </Th> <Th> Description </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Charles Fossard </Td> <Td> 1903 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 70 years, 303 days </Td> <Td> Australia </Td> <Td> Homeless French Australian immigrant recluded in the J Ward mental asylum in Ararat, Victoria after murdering an elderly man and stealing his boots . Died while still incarcerated at the age of 92 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Paul Geidel Jr . </Td> <Td> 1911 </Td> <Td> 1980 </Td> <Td> 68 years, 245 days </Td> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> Longest - serving prison inmate in the United States whose sentence ended in release . Incarcerated from 1911, aged 17 and released 1980 at 86 . He died in a nursing home in 1987, aged 93 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Francis Clifford Smith </Td> <Td> 7 June 1950 </Td> <Td> ongoing </Td> <Td> 7004249160000000000 ♠ 68 years, 79 days </Td> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> Oldest prisoner in the United States . Sentenced to death for the murder of a nightwatchman during a robbery at a yacht club in July 1949, his sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1954, only two hours before his scheduled execution . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Johnson Van Dyke Grigsby </Td> <Td> 1908 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 66 years, 123 days </Td> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> Sentenced to life in prison for murder, he was denied parole 33 times before he was released at age 89 . Returned to prison voluntarily, citing difficulty finding a job, but left again in 1976 . Died in 1987, aged 101 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> William Heirens </Td> <Td> 1946 </Td> <Td> 2012 </Td> <Td> 65 years, 181 days </Td> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> Known as the "Lipstick Killer". Reputed to be the longest surviving prisoner in Chicago . Died in prison . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> John Phillips </Td> <Td> 17 July 1952 </Td> <Td> ongoing </Td> <Td> 7004241450000000000 ♠ 66 years, 39 days </Td> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> Longest serving prisoner in North Carolina . Convicted for the rape of a five - year - old girl . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Clarence Marshall </Td> <Td> 1950 </Td> <Td> 2015 </Td> <Td> 64 years, 70 days </Td> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> Longest - serving prisoner in Michigan . Sentenced to life in prison on one count of armed robbery and another of unarmed assault "with intent to rob and steal". Paroled . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Richard Honeck </Td> <Td> 1899 </Td> <Td> 1963 </Td> <Td> 64 years, 44 days </Td> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> Aged 22, Honeck was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a former school friend . He was paroled after 63 years and one month . He died in 1976, aged 97 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Howard Christensen </Td> <Td> 1937 </Td> <Td> 2001 </Td> <Td> 64 years </Td> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> Sentenced to life without parole for the murder of a teacher in 1937, when he was 16, along with a 17 - year - old accomplice who hanged himself in prison in 1943 . His sentence was commuted to 200 years in the mid-1970s . Died in 2003, aged 82 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Charles Edret Ford </Td> <Td> 1952 </Td> <Td> 2016 </Td> <Td> 64 years </Td> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> Prisoner incarcerated for the longest time who was found to be innocent on retrial, and the longest serving prisoner in Maryland . Ford, a black man, was convicted for murder by an all - white jury in 1952, when he was 20, and again for an assault in 1975 supposedly committed while he was on parole . The second victim identified a different man as her attacker but the judge argued that both men looked alike enough . Ford, at the time the only person present at his first conviction who was still alive, was granted retrials in 2015 for both charges because he had not been informed of his right to appeal the sentences . He was found innocent of both and released to a nursing home . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Joseph Ligon </Td> <Td> 1953 </Td> <Td> ongoing </Td> <Td> 7004236260000000000 ♠ 64 years, 250 days </Td> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> Believed to be the oldest juvenile convict in the world . Serving a life sentence for murder which began when he was 15 years old . Rejected a parole deal in 2016 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Oliver Terpening </Td> <Td> 1947 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 63 years, 125 days </Td> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> Killed a school friend and three young girls and attempted to rape another girl because he wanted to know how it felt to kill somebody . He found the experience disappointing . Died in prison . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> "Old" Bill Wallace </Td> <Td> 1926 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 63 years </Td> <Td> Australia </Td> <Td> Imprisoned for shooting a man in an argument over a cigarette in a cafe of Melbourne . Died a month before his 108th birthday, still in prison, incarcerated in J Ward . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Hugh Alderman </Td> <Td> 1917 </Td> <Td> 1980 </Td> <Td> 62 years, 192 days </Td> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> Longest serving prisoner in Florida . Escaped twice in 1919 and 1924 . Moved to a mental hospital in 1927, where he died in 1980, aged 86 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Walter H. Bourque Jr . </Td> <Td> 1955 </Td> <Td> ongoing </Td> <Td> 7004229030000000000 ♠ 62 years, 257 days </Td> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> Longest serving prisoner in New Hampshire . Serving a sentence of 99 years and six months for the axe murder of a four - year - old girl when he was 17 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Warren Nutter </Td> <Td> 1956 </Td> <Td> ongoing </Td> <Td> 7004228420000000000 ♠ 62 years, 196 days </Td> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> Youngest man ever sentenced to death in Iowa, when he was 18 years old, for the murder of a patrolman during a gas station robbery . Sentence commuted to life in prison in 1957 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Howard Unruh </Td> <Td> 1949 </Td> <Td> 2009 </Td> <Td> 60 years </Td> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> Mass murderer who killed 13 people and injured three in Camden, New Jersey . Recluded in a mental hospital without trial or conviction . </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Name </Th> <Th> Sentence start </Th> <Th> Sentence end </Th> <Th> Sentence duration </Th> <Th> Country </Th> <Th> Description </Th> </Tr>

Who is the longest serving prisoner in australia