The pros and cons of the three strikes law

The three strikes law has passed in California with the intention of removing profession criminals from the streets for good. 3 felony convictions earn the defendant a sentence of life in prison, with small opportunity of getting parole. Whilst some believe that these measures are necessary, there are other individuals who do not see the benefit. The three strikes policy is controversial simply because a person convicted of a minor felony can acquire a life sentence. “Research shows that habitual offender sentencing laws have tiny effect on crime prices, and some investigation indicates they may in fact improve crime rates, hardly the desired impact.” (Sean Rosenmerkel, Matthew Durose, and Donald Farole, Jr., Felony Sentences in State Courts, 2006).

Pro #1: Habitual Offenders Are Discouraged.

If a criminal knows that they face life in prison if they continue to live a certain way of life, the 3 strikes law can serve as a motivating aspect to clean up their act. There is no opportunity to commit the identical crimes over and more than again, as the judge sooner or later removes the person from society altogether.

Con #1: Prison Charges Go Up.

The much more felony instances that are prosecuted, the greater the fees are to the state’s court technique. The more felony instances that result in a conviction, the greater the fees of preserving state prisons turn out to be. Who ends up footing the bill for these added expenditures? The taxpayers. Prison overpopulation also becomes an problem, necessitating the developing of additional prisons.

Pro # 2: Crime Rates Are Decreased.

When criminals are removed from the street on a regular basis, the crime prices for the region are significantly decreased. This is due to the imprisonment of habitual offenders and also can be attributed to the fear that the 3 strikes law puts into the heart of these who are considering a life of crime.

Con #2: Most third strikers are not incarcerated for serious or violent offenses.

“In California, 59% of these serving a second strike sentence have been incarcerated for a non-critical offense. 46% of third strikers can say the very same. This accounts for a lot more than 24,000 prisoners in just a single state.” Lombardo, C. (2015, September 22). Pros and Cons of Three Strikes Law. Retrieved February 02, 2018, from http://visionlaunch.com/pros-and-cons-of-three-strikes-law/#

Pro #3: Citizens Take pleasure in Peace of Thoughts.

Citizens are capable to rest effortless below the 3 strikes law, realizing that their governing bodies are performing everything they can to keep the streets secure. They can send their youngsters out to play with no worries and have no concerns with traveling to any neighborhoods for the duration of the late-evening hours.

Con #three: It doesn’t allow for person variability.

Standardized sentencing does not take into account any situations when there’s a third strike. If a guilty verdict occurs, the sentence is automatic. There are several examples in the US for 20+ year sentences getting handed down for getting in possession of significantly less than 1g of an illicit drug.

The pros and cons of the 3 strikes law show that in theory, it could be a helpful program. In reality, nonetheless, far more prisoners who have committed non-critical offenses are serving extended sentences basically due to the fact of a repeat offense. When the fees of housing prisoners are considered, these essential points have to be cautiously evaluated.