For states grappling with both the problems of violent crime and a public perception that the criminal justice system fails to deal adequately with such crime, life-without-parole (LWOP) appears to offer a viable alternative. LWOP is a punishment that the death penalty and regular life sentences sorely lack. LWOP is employed effectively as a prosecutorial weapon against murder, and potentially saves money and lives -- the lives of convicted murderers who would otherwise languish on death row as well as the innocent victims of paroled murderers who may kill again. States that currently do not employ LWOP punishment should consider its adoption. LWOP should be considered on its own merits, however, not in conjunction with LWOP as a punishment for habitual offenders or drug kingpins, but for punishing murderers deemed most dangerous and severe. LWOP's effects on the criminal justice and corrections system and on LWOP prisoners should be studied because it is still necessary to measure the long-term effects of this sanction.