Return to Home Page
By Mike Reynolds, 13 December 2010
in reference to the LA Times article on multiple murderer John Wesley Ewell
When criminal behavior is perpetuated it also becomes escalated with ever more bold acts that only end in tragedy for one or more victims and profound punishment for a criminal who was not stopped soon enough in an ever rising life of crime and violence.
It's no big secret that juvenile offenders often go on to be adult offenders or that low level offenders often go on to become high level offenders.
The one question, "is there any way to reduce or stop criminal behavior before the inevitable happens?"
The inevitable is a 25 year to life sentence in state prison.
In the last 15 years, California has handed down over 8 thousand 25 to life terms under 3 Strikes. This sounds costly and is filling our prisons. But our system has only built 1 new prison in this decade and a half. It should also note that our prison population has remained at approximately 160 thousand to 170 thousand in the last 10 years. I know of no other time in California's history that this amount of time has elapsed with this small of an increase in prison population, all of which is documented on our website.
The simplest explanation is also the correct one. Since 3 Strikes became law, serious and violent crime has dropped approximately 50%.
One half the crime not only means � the victims it also translates into half the criminal prosecutions and incarcerations that would have transpired if the crime rates had remained at the pre 3 Strikes era (all documented in the 15 Year Report on our website.
3 Strikes provides a huge prevention incentive through deterrence. Fear of punishment works and that's why all laws have penalties. Laws without penalties are, in fact, no laws at all.
There is also an "early intervention" aspect of 3 Strikes that is seldom talked about but is used at a rate of 9 times for every one time a third strike is handed down.
It is called a "second strike." Approximately 35 thousand second strikers are serving time in California state prisons. It requires them to serve 2 times the time for their current crime and serve 80% of that sentence before parole can be considered.
What it in fact does is incarcerate offenders for far less time and cost than third strikers and intervenes before a third strike is called for.
Three separate studies, 1 an FBI study and 2 university studies, show second strikers have approximately a 50% less chance of reoffending. This is refreshing news in a state with a 70% recidivism rate.
Early intervention and prevention play a huge part for strikers, leaving a 25 to life term for those who have failed both.
Back the Badge