3 strikes

7 Pages 1753 Words

Three strikes and you're out
By: K.J. Stewart

Running head: THREE STRIKES Three Strikes and You’re Out Kelly Jay Stewart CRIM 440 21 November 2000 Three Strikes and You’re Out Samuel Walker, author of Sense and Nonsense about Crime and Drugs, presented us in his book with forty-eight propositions that dealt with crime, drugs, and our efforts toward getting rid of these problems. A few of these propositions informed us on positive actions taking place in our criminal justice system, but the majority of them told us what was not working to fight crime and drugs. One of those propositions that was a negative aspect of our justice system today in Mr. Walker’s eyes was the “three strikes and you’re out” laws (referred to here after as three strikes laws). He gives numerous reasons why this law is not considered to be an effective one. This paper will first explain Walker’s view on the issue and then review some of the current research and opinions on the matter. Samuel Walker conducted very thorough research on the propositions he presented to us in his book. His twentieth proposition read as follows; “ ‘Three strikes and you’re out’ laws are a terrible crime policy” (Walker, 1998: 140). Walker justifies his claim by asking and then explaining three questions. The first question is whether the law would actually be implemented. Walker states that “hardly any states were using there three strikes laws” (Walker, 1998: 138). California is leading the nation in prosecutions of offenders through the current two and three strikes laws (Tischler, 1999). Fifteen of the twenty-three states that have three strikes laws have incarcerated between zero and six inmates since 1993 according to The Campaign for an Effective Crime Policy (Tischler, 1999). The second reason Walker cites is the impact of the three strikes laws on the criminal justice system. These laws are affecting the system by overcrowding prisons, subjecti...