3 Strikes And Your Out!

[alohabear]

After reading this article on Attorney General Mark Bennett's proposal to make a "Three Strikes" law for violent repeat offenders, I must say it's about time!

The law would establish a list of crimes — considered violent by state officials — covered by the three-strikes penalty, including murder, manslaughter, kidnapping and first-degree sexual assault, robbery and burglary.

I would also add drug offences to this list ,but I guess it's not violent enough.

Do you think a law like this will work? Or will it just lead to more "high speed" car chases like California is famous for?

[sinjin]

Re: 3 Strikes And Your Out!

I has a great many problems in California. People being sent away for life when crime number three was petty. Some even when crimes two and three were petty.

I'm not a fan of mandatory sentencing in the first place. What good are judges if they can't be trusted to look at each case unto itself and make an appropriate sentencing?

[pzarquon]

Re: 3 Strikes And Your Out!

I'm not a fan of mandatory sentencing in the first place. What good are judges if they can't be trusted to look at each case unto itself and make an appropriate sentencing?

I'd agree. The whole point of our structured, and definitely inefficient, trial system is that each crime and defendent is carefully examined by a jury and judge to determine guilt, intent, severity... and in most cases, unrelated crimes are kept out of the proceedings.

If the process is changed so that it's just a matter of rules, if-then switches, and other static criteria, basically the justice system becomes automated. And the chances of a miscarriage of justice are immense.

A burglary leading to life in prison? Fewer pleas (meaning busier courts and ultimately more crowded jails)? Even criminals figuring they might as well make their third strike count? I'm not sure if the supposed deterrent benefit is worth all that.

[kimo55]

Re: 3 Strikes And Your Out!

3 strikes and my out WHAT!?

[sinjin]

Re: 3 Strikes And Your Out!

3 strikes and my out WHAT!?

Third felony conviction, usually at least one violent and you get an automatic life sentence.

[Albert]

Re: 3 Strikes And Your Out!

No, I'm very much against this kind of "justice" and think the judges should be free to do what they are there for, judge. Every case is different.

[charm1110]

Re: 3 Strikes And Your Out!

I don't think this type of legislation attacks the real problem which is that repeat offenders for these types of violent crimes are back on the streets usually on parole. I bet if we just did away with parole as on option on certain crimes and made them serve full sentences every time, the repeat rate would drop significantly which would also make a life sentence that much more of a deterrent.

[alohabear]

Re: 3 Strikes And Your Out!

I don't think this type of legislation attacks the real problem which is that repeat offenders for these types of violent crimes are back on the streets usually on parole. I bet if we just did away with parole as on option on certain crimes and made them serve full sentences every time, the repeat rate would drop significantly which would also make a life sentence that much more of a deterrent.

Good point Charm, I sure won't do any thing bad if I knew there was no way of shortening my stay in jail.

[tutusue]

Re: 3 Strikes And Your Out!

I'd be in favor of it IF a lot of time and thought went into a list of appropriate crimes for Strike 2 and, especially, Strike 3. From what I understand, California's law is too broad, to the point of a shoplifted pack of gum as the 3rd strike is treated the same as a murder. Don't know if that's true or not, tho'. Maybe it was just an exaggeration to make a point.

[sinjin]

Re: 3 Strikes And Your Out!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...DGHR5DO0C1.DTL

[1stwahine]

Re: 3 Strikes And Your Out!

I plead the 5th.

Auntie Lynn

[adrian]

Re: 3 Strikes And Your Out!

Where will we put them? Ship them off to sea?

[rbinck]

Re: 3 Strikes And Your Out!

Where will we put them? Ship them off to sea?

Ship them to Arizona with the others.

[Miulang]

Re: 3 Strikes And Your Out!

One of the fallacies of the "3 strikes and you're in for life" strategy is that I seriously doubt it's going to deter many people from committing whatever crimes they're going to commit. I mean, free room and board for life? And we all know that all the prisons are overcrowded as it is and Hawai'i has to ship its hardened criminals off to other states (where you're paying good money to have them hosted there).

In some other states, they've had to parole some of the people who have committed lesser offenses like drug possession in order to make room for the hardened criminals.
I think the best deterrent would be "3 strikes and you're DEAD".

Miulang

[Jewlipino]

Re: 3 Strikes And Your Out!

ROFL good one miulang. 3 Strikes == BANKRUPTING THE DAMN STATE . Oh yeah it's working GREAT in California (the benighted land that came up with legislation by initiative, mandatory spending bills that keep the CA Legislature from controlling their OWN budget, mustn't forget the Gubernator AND that stool-pigeon Ronald Reagan) where their prison system is becoming a GERIATRIC WARD. This idea should be killed before we wind up doing something stupid like acting on it.

Jewlipino