My essay on the Three Strikes Rule will explore this law from its inception to the present time, its impact on the California state government, and propose a solution to this problematic law. The Three Strikes Rule states that any offenders that committed any violent or serious felony offense (after two or more of the same conviction) are sentenced 25 years to life. I will present how crime has either increased or decreased since the 1990’s. What the perceptions of crime have been in our society. What polices has California put into place from the 1990’s to address crime. The costs and consequences of these policies and whether or not the Three Strike Rule has been worth it.
What has California done in proposition of crime? The Three Strike rule is a reserved power of the states, no decision made is federal, thus there are many heated debates over whether it should have been implemented or not. The California three strike sentencing law was originally enacted in 1994. The law states that any offenders that committed any violent or serious felony offense (after two or more of the same conviction) are sentenced 25 years to life. Researchers believe that crime rate dropped in the 1990’s due to the harsh punishment of this policy. In the article, The Hidden Impact of Three Strikes, author Julia Reynolds states that “crime rates have been going down, down, down. I attribute it to harsher sentencing” (Reynolds, 2009). Studies show that the indirect deterrent and incapacitation of potential crimes attributed to the crime reduction in the 1990s. What has been the perception of crime in the general public through the media and in reality? Does the Three Strikes Rule really effectively stop crime, and does it perform that task cost-effectively as well.
It's not difficult to gauge what the popular notions of crime in the United States are. Engage in any polite conversation over dinner or cocktails and one is likely to hear
References: Bazelon, E. (2010). Arguing Three Strike. New York Times, 1-7. Dorfman, L., & Schiraldi, V. (2001, April 10). Off Balance: Youth, Race, and Crime in the News." Furillo, Andy. (2012) The Sacramento Bee. Three strikes battle return to fall bailout in California, 1-4. Glassner, B. (1999). The Culture of Fear. New York, NY: Basic Books. Jackson, J., & Naureckas, J. (1994, June 1). Crime Contradictions. Reynolds, J. (2009). The Hidden impact of three strikes. Monterey Herald, 1-4.