2011年和2015年通过的《刑法修正案（八）》和《刑法修正案（九）》，是对我国死刑制度改革的重大推进，在死刑逐步限制和废止的进程中迈出了重要一步。《刑法修正案（九）》在刑法分则贪污受贿犯罪一章增设终身监禁制度，将终身监禁作为一种新的死刑执行方式引入刑罚体系。立法的目的一方面在于从严处罚特重大的贪污受贿犯罪；另一方面是出于慎用死刑的考虑，对本应判处死刑立即执行的犯罪，予以缓轻处理，起到死刑替代措施的作用。终身监禁制度确立后，到目前为止已有四起裁判。四起裁决中涉案金额都突破2亿元，案件犯罪情节特别严重，本应判处死刑立即执行，涉及到《刑法修正案（九）》的追溯适用，裁判为终身监禁。借鉴国外的终身监禁规定，大多数国家实行可以假释的终身监禁，我国终身监禁制度也可以在具体执行过程中完善除外情形。在未来我国死刑改革的发展过程中，终身监禁制度会在死缓制度体系内发挥更多的作用。而由普通死缓、死缓限制减刑、终身监禁等死缓的具体执行方式构成的死缓制度体系将成为我国死刑司法改革的重要路径。

In 2011 and 2015, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress passed the "Amendment to the Criminal Law (VIII)" and the "Amendment to the Criminal Law (IX)". This is a major advancement in the reform of the death penalty system in China. The "Amendment to the Criminal Law (IX)" added a life imprisonment system to the crime of embezzlement and bribery, and introduced life imprisonment as a new execution method of the death penalty. The purpose of legislation is to severely punish a serious crime of corruption and bribery. On the other hand, the prudent use of the death penalty should be taken, the crime that should have been sentenced to the death penalty should be treated lightly and gently to serve as a substitute for the death penalty. After the establishment of the system, there have so far been four referees. Before the "Amendment to the Criminal Law (IX)" passed, these four cases should be refereed to death penalty immediately executed. In combination with life imprisonment systems in foreign countries, life imprisonment can be released on parole in most countries, and China’s life imprisonment system should also improve exceptions in the specific implementation process. In the process of the judicial reform of the death penalty in the future, life imprisonment will play a more important role in the system of deferred implementation of death penalty. The ordinary, the limited remission, life imprisonment and other execution methods in the whole system of deferred implementation of death penalty, will become an important path for judicial reform in China.