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Title 18, Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-110

§1118 Murder by a Federal Prisoner

Title 18 › PART I — CRIMES › CHAPTER 51 — HOMICIDE › § 1118

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

If a person who is serving a life sentence in a federal prison kills someone, they can be punished by death or by life in prison. A "Federal correctional institution" includes any federal prison, federal correctional facility, federal community program center, or federal halfway house. "Murder" here means first- or second-degree murder as defined in section 1111. A "term of life imprisonment" means a sentence for natural life; a sentence changed to natural life; an indeterminate sentence with a minimum of at least fifteen years and a maximum of life; or a death sentence that has not been carried out.

Full Legal Text

Title 18, §1118

Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Offense.—
A person who, while confined in a Federal correctional institution under a sentence for a term of life imprisonment, commits the murder of another shall be punished by death or by life imprisonment.
(b)Definitions.—
In this section
“Federal correctional institution” means any Federal prison, Federal correctional facility, Federal community program center, or Federal halfway house. “murder” means a first degree or second degree murder (as defined in section 1111). “term of life imprisonment” means a sentence for the term of natural life, a sentence commuted to natural life, an indeterminate term of a minimum of at least fifteen years and a maximum of life, or an unexecuted sentence of death.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Another section 1118 was renumbered section 1122 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

18 U.S.C. § 1118

Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110