Is There Life After Life?

I have a dilemma today. A heavy heart.

I've been counseling for a while with a young man named Michael. He used to be incarcerated at Charlotte Correctional Center. That's where I first met him. I was his chaplain.
For the past two years, Michael has been in a local jail awaiting trial. After he was released from prison he got caught up in a robbery scheme and committed a horrific crime. The jail chaplain called me shortly after he was locked-up saying that Michael had requested to see me. I was the only one he could or would talk to. So began a series of visits during one of which I had the privilege of praying with Michael to invite Christ to come into his life. It's been a long road.

Yesterday, Michael received his sentence. Life. Life with no chance for parole.

A fair sentence? Yes. Deserved? Absolutely.

It's easy for us to look through the eyes of jurisprudence and to say yes, justice has been served. Society is safe from the likes of Michael. But behind the sentence, and beyond the righteous indignation of all of the good people in the community, there is a twenty-six year old man who will never taste freedom again. Every breath that he draws, every move will be at the whim of the State of North Carolina.
Michael threw his life away the moment he pulled that trigger. Then he took up a new life sitting in a cell with me in prayer not long ago. Now I'm wondering: Is there life after life without parole for Michael? I'm just not sure how to feel about it all.