Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73not60
§1118 Murder by a Federal Prisoner
Title 18 › Part I— CRIMES › Chapter 51— HOMICIDE › § 1118
Summary
Person serving life in federal prison who murders another can be punished by death or life. Federal correctional institution: federal prison or similar. Murder: 1st- or 2nd-degree. Term of life imprisonment: natural life; commuted; indeterminate (at least fifteen years to life); or unexecuted death.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §1118
Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)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)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
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60