The three strikes law came about in 1994 in response to a highly publicized murder case in California. In 1994, 12 year-old Polly Klass was murdered by Richard Allen Davis, a parolee and repeat offender. In response to this brutal act, the Legislature adopted the “three-strikes-you're-out law”. “It passed with 72 percent voter approval. It requires a judge to impose a 25 years to life sentence for a felony third-strikes offense committed after two serious or viole

Clearly, these statistics show that the three strikes law is working. Opponents may feel it is sometimes harsh; however, the bottom line is that the criminal is very likely to know the provisions of the law. And if he makes the decision to commit a crime, regardless of how petty it may seem, he knows the possible consequences.

The three strikes law has also had a strong impact on deterring crime. Statistics show that the crime rate in California has fallen since the implementation of the law. This can be partially attributed to the media coverage of the law. Many people see the news reports about cases such as Herrerra’s. This coverage may cause a would-be shoplifter with previous strikes to rethink his decision.

The three strikes law has cleaned our streets and communities of many repeat offenders such as Ronald Herrerra and Kenneth Delgado. According to California state officials, there were approximately 7,100 prisoners incarcerated as a result of the three strikes law in 2002. “Most triggered their sentences by committing serious crimes. They include 294 convictions for murder, 34 for manslaughter, 1,408 robbery, 241 for child molesters, 136 for rape, and 83 for kidnappi

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