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RALEIGH — North Carolina inmates serving life sentences who say they should be free will remain behind bars.

The State Supreme Court ruled on Friday that good behavior or not, a life sentence is a life sentence. The Department of Corrections is celebrating a hard fought victory. Dozens of inmates who had been sentenced to life in the 1970's, when a state law said that life actually equaled 80 years, say they have already done their time because of good time credits the have received in prison.

“We are grateful to the court for upholding those practices and policies that have served the state for more than 50 years,” said Alvin Keller, Secretary of the Department of Corrections.

The Supreme Court heard the case in Feb. after Faye Brown and Alford Jones had been ordered to be released from prison by a lower court judge. The Supreme Court has now overturned that ruling.

Victim's advocates said that this is is a victory for the people of North Carolina.

“There is one lady who is 43 now, she was abducted and raped when she was seven,” said Tom Bennett with NC Victims Assistance Network. “She is convinced that had her assailant been released he would come back to her community and attack her again.”

The appellate defenders' office that argued this case before the State Supreme Court said that they are disappointed by the decision. They are considering if they have grounds to now bring this case to the Federal courts.

In a statement released by Appellate Defender Staples Hughes, they said this ruling has far reaching implications:

"The result is particularly troubling because at least ten and possibly more persons in the same situation as Mr. Jones and Ms. Brown would be entitled to release had they received the sentences now imposed for the crimes they were convicted of in the 1970s."

It is that expected this decision will affect other similar lower court cases, where life sentence inmates are also looking for early release.