<Ul> <Li> However, As one can be sentenced to Life without parole, Another way to be sentenced for life in prison is a minimum amount of years spent in jail depending on the life expectancy of the prisoner . Thus the prisoner will then spend the rest of his or her life in prison . </Li> </Ul> <Li> However, As one can be sentenced to Life without parole, Another way to be sentenced for life in prison is a minimum amount of years spent in jail depending on the life expectancy of the prisoner . Thus the prisoner will then spend the rest of his or her life in prison . </Li> <P> The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines prescribe a reduction of sentence time for most defendants who accept responsibility and plead guilty; further discounts are available to some defendants through fact bargaining, substantial assistance, and so on . Federal court statistics from 2003 show that the average sentence given for offenses resolved by guilty plea was 54.7 months, while the average sentence for offenses resolved by trial was 153.7 months . </P> <P> In some states, a judge will sentence criminals to an indeterminate amount of time in prison for certain crimes . This period is often between 1 and 3 years (on the short end) and 5--50 years on the upper end . The legislature generally sets a short, mandatory minimum sentence that an offender must spend in prison (e.g. one - third of the minimum sentence, or one - third of the high end of a sentence). The parole board then sets the actual date of prison release, as well as the rules that the parolee must follow when released . </P>

What can you get 20 years in prison for