Less then half of the more then four thousand third strike prisoners in the state of California were convicted for crimes other then those against persons. Though California isn’t the only state that has the three strikes law, it is the only state where it is not working. Statistics have shown that in states without the three-strike law, violent and serious crimes fell at a much faster rate then the states with the law. This shows that California needs to improve the existing law into a more effective way of ruling. (Braz, LAO)

Punishment for crimes has to be thought out and fair to everyone. Punishment for minor crimes shouldn’t be the same for major and serious crimes. Murder shouldn’t be given the same sentence as stealing

a candy bar and vise versa. The three strikes law makes the punishment for stealing a candy bar in the same field for assault on a human being. The three strikes law today has to be re-written so that it can be presently suitable for each case and that the extremely harsh sentencing that comes with the penalty is given to criminals who truly deserve that type of punishment. The punishment should fit the crime and should be proper to the nature of the offense in which the more severe crimes get more severe punishment no matter how many times the offender has been convicted.

Is the amount of money that is spent each year on a convicted criminal worth the taxpayers’ dollars? As more and more third strikers are convicted, the prisons become more and more occupied, which means more money coming from innocent people to house the victims and crowded cells. Though it does help or attempt to keep the streets safe, the idea of jailing people for the third offense they commit in their lives and getting caught isn’t worth the trouble for the amount of money it costs. Its costs approximately $62,000 to place a man in jail for 12 months. That adds up to a significant amount considering more then four thousand prisoners are in jail for third strikes, and the numbers are still rising. That money that is spent on the prisons could be used for any number of things including schools or other educational activities. This law has to be amended in order to fully operate at the potential that it could. It’s a great idea, but still needs some fine-tuning. (Brennan)

Notes: The Department of Corrections (CDC) projects that the second- and third-strike prison population will exceed 55,000 by 2002, when one of four inmates in prison will be a "second-" or "third-striker." Less than one-fourth of second-strikers were admitted to prison for a violent or serious offense. The most common third-strike offenses are robbery and first-degree burglary (both are considered violent or serious offenses), followed by possession of a controlled substance, second-degree burglary, and possession of a weapon.

Notes: Ronnie Vill

Some topics in this essay:
LAO Punishment, Grants Commission, Corrections CDC, Strike Law, Gray Davis, Corrections Braz, Ronnie Villa, William Anderson, African Americans, Davis Reams, third strike, criminal justice, punishment fit, serious crimes, violent serious, fit crime, punishment fit crime, strikes law, strike law, strikes you’re out”, ``violent'' ``serious'', stealing candy, you’re out” law, defendants pleading guilty, third strike law,