Justice Churchman sentenced Stephen Roger Williams in the High Court in Wellington to a minimum period of 14 years in jail, saying ti was his third strike.
During sentencing Williams stared down photographers and threatened to kill them.
"I'm going to kill you," he told photographers.
In September this year, the 45-year-old admitted he tried to kill another inmate at Rimutaka Prison by stabbing him in the throat.
The victim suffered from four stab wounds, one to the back of the head and three to the back of his neck.
He also suffered from extensive burns to his neck, chest, upper torso and arms.
The summary of facts stated the incident happened on July 31 after Williams believed the inmate had told Corrections officers that he had tobacco hidden in his cell.
In March 2017, he had already been sentenced to preventive detention, meaning he would not be released until he could prove he was no longer a risk to society.
This was after he lured another inmate at Auckland's maximum-security prison, Paremoremo, into his cell and stabbed him with broken fluorescent light bulbs and a broken broom handle.
At that point Williams had 96 previous convictions, including 16 for violence.
