The 3 Strikes Law

It is basically like throwing the sheep to the lions. There is just no way that this is a good use of our criminal justice system. Juveniles should be kept in their own facilities to the maximum extent possible where they can receive the treatment that just may lead them back to being productive members of society. Even though there are some of the same issues in juvenile facilities as there are in adult facilities, such as overcrowding, prisoner assaults, and custodial abuse. There are systems in place to monitor them and deal with the problems. When these things go on in adult prisons there most often is the attitude of callousness, whereby problems are looked at as part of the system, a kind of "who cares about the inmate" attitude.

In 1994 Polly Klaas was kidnapped from a slumber party at her home in California and later murdered by Richard Allen Davis who already had 2 prior convictions for kidnapping on his record. The public was outraged that a repeat offender was able to attack again. Politicians catered to this outrage and sold the public on a bill that would repeat offenders off the streets for good with the three strikes and you’re out legislation.

Perhaps the most important thing about being a human being is our ability to reason. Human have certain advantages over other creations, such as our ability to think, apply and communicate our intellectual capabilities. For most people this is the core religious belief and for the most part what dictates their behavioral eminence. Religion is the most important part of how we deal with things as we face them. For some people it’s a sincere believe, while for others the motivation is to please someone other themselves in the name of whatever religion the happened to follow. Some people truly believe what they do will be for the greater good while others do moral acts in order to get rewards either from God or the satisfaction obtained from fellow human being thru appraisal. There is no doubt religion is the greatest source of moral guidance, however, about how we see and arrive at realization also greatly affects the outcome. There are three fundamental principle that dictates our moral behaviors; first ability to control our emotions, secondly, being conscious, and lastly having faith in God. God did give us scriptures as guidance; however He also gave the ability to think, analyze and apply our knowledge for good. It is not reasonable to blindly follow what’s in the book, as it will not be spoon fed to people, God gave guidance and also gave people the power to think and do what’s right.

The Three-Strikes Law has three different components. Just like marriage, driving, and educational laws the Three-Strikes law has its own version in every state. Unfortunately California’s Three-Strikes law is causing the most controversy. The three parts in California’s law are the defendant’s record of prior convictions, the current charge and the minimum punishment the defendant is facing. A man or woman has to be convicted of two felonies and charged with another one before the Three-Strikes law can come into play. Dictionary.com defines a felony as “an offense, as murder or burglary, of graver character than those called misdemeanors, especially those commonly punished in the U.S. by imprisonment for more than a year” (Brauchli).

United States throughout history has tried many different ways to deter criminals from committing crime. One of the more famous polices enforced was the Three Strikes sentencing laws, and other “get tough” approaches. In 1994, the Three Strikes sentencing law was first established (Couzens, J. Richards and Tricia A. Bigelow). The law stated that any defendant convicted of any new felony, having been convicted before of a serious felony to be sentenced to state prison for twice the term otherwise given for the crime. If the defendant was convicted of any felony with two or more prior strikes, the law mandated a state prison term of at least 25 years to life (Couzens, J. Richards and Tricia A. Bigelow). In California and Washington, the three strike law was adopted and in both states showed contradictive results. It has become a very controversial form of deterrence and is widely debated if the three strikes sentencing laws actually deter criminals from committing crimes.

Is this really fair for someone who didn't hurt others? The incarceration rate is high due to a majority of drug offenders, stated at 50% which is the single, largest category of federal felons. Gang members are also serving time for drug or crime, which leads them to accountability for their actions within the penal system. The goal is growth, equality, accountability and moral value. The justification should not be portrayed through violence if the the convict did not commit a violent act and should be reintegrated into society once the violator has served their time. The financial aspect should supply efforts from the prosecuted to downsize these incarcerated for the lesser violent charges to advocate prosocial life skills, to connect family ties and support to heal communities and congregational

Throughout the years, there has been much controversy weather The Three Strike Law is cruel and unjust. Was the intent to get violent repeat officers incarcerated for a long period, or to get all offenders with three strikes off the streets? Within hours, after the law went into effect California had its first offender, arrested while attempting to a steal a car radio and two nonviolent burglaries on his record, a homeless schizophrenic, Lester Wallace, sentenced to twenty-five years. He has been sexually and physically attacked, suffered seizures, developed back problems, and end- stage renal disease. Although within months California reformed the law, the state wont released this dying man. Curtis Wilkerson strolled into a department store,

On an everyday basis, how is the three strikes law affecting people in New Mexico? The three strikes law is one of the most modernized laws in the criminal justice system of the United States, where it has been created in the efforts to reduce and prevent crimes in the states especially for required sentencing laws for repeat criminal offenders. In 2003, more than half of the United States had adopted the three strikes law; in addition, the law is raised when criminals have committed their third felonies. Therefore, these laws execute a harsher penalty of a minimum of 25 years of a life sentence for criminals who have committed a crime for the third time even though their crimes that are not evil. There were many arguments raised when many of the criminals were sent to prison for 25 years for a very small crime such as petty theft. Many of the people in the United States argued that a 25 year prison is very similar to the punishment for committing murder. In 2013, according to The Washington Times Newspaper by associated press, Santa Fe, N.M. (AP) house majority leader Nate Gentry argues that “New Mexico is the second most dangerous state in the nation as far as violent crime goes” (press). This is the result based on the 24/7 Wall Street data; therefore, Gentry also said that it is one of the most dangerous place to be a child because many children are getting affected by the crimes they are seeing from their perspective. For the last few years, three strikes law has

The California’s Three Strikes Law was an act that came into place under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. The law was enacted to help deal with violent repeat offenders. The essence of three strikes law was to require a defendant convicted of any new felony, suffered prior convictions of a serious felony to be sentenced to state prison. In this paper I will discuss the three strikes laws adding to prison overcrowding, does it targets non-violent offenders, and are these laws a deterrent. America’s incarceration addiction grew during the late 1980s and early 1990s, as state and local government passed the “three strikes” law called for mandatory sentencing of repeat offenders. California's "three strikes and you're

In March 1994, California voted to pass the Three Strikes Law with the majority of the vote, a bill that had been struck down multiple times by the state legislature (Naomi Harlin Goodno). This law would allow criminals with two prior felonies on their records to receive life in prison. These laws were proposed to keep serious repeat offenders off the streets, this was a result of the rising crime rate of the nineties. The law was presented to the electorate as a way to keep rapists, child molesters and killers of the streets, the most incorrigible of inmates; however, it has been proven that such laws unproportionally target minorities and persons with mental illnesses. African Americans are incarcerated at a rate thirteen times higher than

I am on the fence about this philosophy for a variety of reason. First, I believe that it is a beneficial advantage for a juvenile delinquent if they didn’t commit a serious offence, however; for the younger criminals who committed a serious offence have to fight to be able to receive the due process rights they deserve. I believe if there was a way we can fix this philosophy it may be beneficial or everyone involved.

One of the most controversial laws in the efforts to reduce crime has been the "three-strikes" laws that have been enacted. This law, which is already in twenty-seven states, requires that offenders convicted of three violent crimes be sentenced to life in prison without chance of parole. The law is based on the idea that the majority of felonies are committed by about 6% of hard core criminals and that crime can be eliminated by getting these criminals off the streets. Unfortunately, the law fails to take into account its own flaws and how it is implemented.

Three strikes stems from the reference to baseball. The three strikes law essentially means that a criminal is authorized two criminal offenses before “striking out” on the third. This shows that a habitual offender who is convicted of three or more violent or serious charges, “strikes out” and will receive harsher punishments. This form of legislations shows a drastic shift from retribution to incapacitation or deterrence as a form of punishment. Punishment or the threat of punishment is a representation of a mechanism that deters individuals from further engaging in criminal activity.

Baren, Kelsey. A Felonious Strikeout: "The Preventative Benefits of "The Three Strike Law" in Massachusetts. " New England Journal on Criminal and Civilian confinement 40:2 (2014) 403-425.Print.

YCJA Essay by Salmaan Malik 9-1 The Youth Criminal Justice Act first came into effect on April 1, 2003. It was an act that was initiated to help deal with youth criminals that were above the age of 12 but under 18. And one of the main focuses of the YCJA was to provide meaningful consequences and then reintegrate the youth back into society. However since it was first introduced, the YCJA has raised many questions surrounding it with a major one being: Is the YCJA fair and equitable to youth?