NCJ Number
178289
Journal
Corrections Management Quarterly Volume: 3 Issue: 3 Dated: Summer 1999 Pages: 1-18
Date Published
1999
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Three strikes laws, which generally reduce judicial discretion and impose long sentences, were passed by 23 States and the Federal Government beginning in 1993 to target repeat violent offenders, but the laws have had little impact in most States.
Abstract
Three strikes laws have had substantial impact in only two States, California and Georgia. The application of the three strikes law in California, however, has been uneven and its effect on public safety is disputed. The wide scope of provisions in California's law has resulted in long prison terms for many less serious crimes. Further, prosecutorial discretion over charging and plea bargaining has resulted in very uneven application of the law across the State. Blacks comprise 31 percent of inmates in State prisons but 37 percent of offenders convicted under two strikes and 44 percent of three strikes offenders. California continues to have the most offenders (40,000) sentenced under two and three strikes. Georgia is in second place, with almost 2,000 persons sentenced under its three strikes law. First strike offenders in Georgia are predominantly young black men. The impact of three strikes laws in other States is assessed. The effectiveness of three strikes laws is considered in terms of crime commission, fairness, drugs, race, prison crowding, corrections costs, plea bargaining, case processing, early release, criminal and civil proceedings, and legal issues. 77 references and 1 table