What are your thoughts on states who use the 3 strike law?

Question

"The three-strikes law significantly increases the prison sentences of persons convicted of a felony who have been previously convicted of two or more violent crimes or serious felonies, and limits the ability of these offenders to receive a punishment other than a life sentence."
Do you think it's fair? Does it deter criminal behavior? Or does it just fill up the prison system?

24 states currently have some form of the 3 strikes law enacted right now. I did find a graph with some stats. It's all very interesting.

Here is an amazing source on lots of stats, sorry the link sucks lol. http://www.lao.ca.gov/2005/3_strikes/3_strikes_102005.htm

Answer

I have a huge problem with anything that requires mandatory minimums since they don't allow for judge and jury discretion.

Repeat offenders are a problem but at its root, I think recidivism is due to the fact that prisons are punitive rather than rehabilitative. It's tough because when people commit crimes, you do want them to "pay", but unless they are serving life in prison, they will eventually reenter society and they are usually worse off which leads them to committing crimes again. I mean, in prison they get food, shelter, health care, etc. Out here, any attempts to actually help ex-convicts are usually underfunded or don't exist.

Answer

I think that life sentences should be reserved for the most serious offences only.  I also believe that it serves the best interests if noone to have a massive prison population.

If a state has large numbers of people on strike 2 or 3, I would view it as a massive indictment of the prison system in that state.  It is clearly failing.  Prison should rehabilitate, but that is obviously not happening here.

It might be smarter to investigate and correct the reasons as to why the state is failing to rehabilitate and concentrate efforts on improving that, rather than just continually locking people up.

They say that madness is continuing to do the same thing and expecting a different outcome.  Sticking people in a failing prison system and imagining it will produce model citizens sounds a lot like that.

Answer

If a person keeps repeatedly causing trouble I think he should be kept away from others for as long as possible, even life if it helps imo.

Answer

I think it's great for violent felons.

Answer

I did no research to back this up, but wasn't the first person convicted under the three strikes law a man who stole a slice of pizza?

Answer

My brother was in and out of jail and prison for constant theft and some drugs within a 7 year time span and sometimes I wish they would've kept him because he never seemed to learn. 
But I agree with Jay that sentences like that should be reserved for things like murder and rape.

Answer

Reficulous they need to be in jail

What are your thoughts on states who use the 3 strike law?

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