Gov. Lingle yesterday signed into law the "3 strikes law" which requires a mandatory 30 years-to-life sentence for repeat violent offenders convicted of 3 felonies.
One result of this new law could be more overcrowding of jails and prisons as more violent offenders are put away for longer sentences. If no additional secure facilities are built, where will the hardened criminals be housed? Will they be shipped to the Mainland? Where will people convicted of nonviolent offenses be put? Will certain crimes now punishable by incarceration be "decriminalized" and those violators (for things like possession of marijuana) be let loose on parole? While this may give pause to offenders who commit violent acts, will this prevent "white collar" criminals from continuing to do what they do to victimize others?
Lots of times laws are enacted to try to solve one problem, but it ends up causing other problems down the road: the "law of unintended consequences".
Miulang
One result of this new law could be more overcrowding of jails and prisons as more violent offenders are put away for longer sentences. If no additional secure facilities are built, where will the hardened criminals be housed? Will they be shipped to the Mainland? Where will people convicted of nonviolent offenses be put? Will certain crimes now punishable by incarceration be "decriminalized" and those violators (for things like possession of marijuana) be let loose on parole? While this may give pause to offenders who commit violent acts, will this prevent "white collar" criminals from continuing to do what they do to victimize others?
Lots of times laws are enacted to try to solve one problem, but it ends up causing other problems down the road: the "law of unintended consequences".
Miulang
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