Final answer:
In Georgia, adults receiving a life sentence without parole will be incarcerated for life. However, for juveniles, the Supreme Court rulings in Graham v. Florida and Miller v. Alabama prevent mandatory life-without-parole sentences for non-homicide offenses and require individualized sentencing considerations.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Georgia, a life sentence without parole means that the individual is sentenced to spend the rest of their life in prison without the chance of being released on parole. However, this does not apply in all cases, particularly when it comes to juvenile offenders. Two landmark Supreme Court decisions have shaped the sentencing of juveniles in the United States.
The first case, Graham v. Florida, determined that life imprisonment without the possibility of parole may not be imposed on juvenile non-homicide offenders. Following this, the case of Miller v. Alabama held that a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole may not be a mandatory sentence for juvenile offenders, meaning it cannot be an automatic penalty and the unique circumstances of each juvenile must be considered.
For adults convicted in Georgia, life without parole is indeed lifelong incarceration. Yet the post-2010 Supreme Court decisions necessitate individualized sentencing processes for juveniles to ensure that their age, maturity, and the nature of their crime are taken into account during sentencing.