Three Strikes Law
THE “THREE STRIKES” SENTENCING:
WHY SHOULD IT BE ABOLISHED?
(FINAL DRAFT)
Tanisha Tate
CRMJ400: Criminology
Professor Conis
Course Paper: Final
February 13, 2011
Tanisha Tate
CRMJ400: Criminology
Professor Conis
Course Paper
February 13, 2011
The “Three Strike” Sentencing
The criminal justice issue that has been chosen as the topic on this course project is the “three strike” sentencing and how it should be abolished. The three strike sentencing was established in 1994 under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. (Harris, 1995). In this act, the statute of three strike sentencing provides a mandatory life imprisonment sentence for convicted felons that have been convicted in a federal court for a serious and/or violent felony and they commit two or more previous crimes that they are convicted of in federal and/or state court system in which at least one of the crimes is a serious and/or violent crime. These crimes can be but are not limited to murder, sex offenses, robbery, and kidnapping.
The issue at hand is the question whether this act is really as effective as it is made out to be. Convicted felons are given two more chances to straighten up their acts and get their lives together to be able to live and reside in society. I believe that people who are convicted of a serious crime the first go-round should be punish by the same seriousness as the crime in which he or she committed. If they are giving a second chance to make become civilized and they commit another serious crime, then that should be an automatic life imprisonment sentence. I do not believe that they should be given a third chance. Once someone who commits a crime, they have the potential to commit the same or even more severe crime. It should not have to take the law and criminal justice system three chances to realize that a convicted felon is unfit to live along side with civilians. With this being said, this “three strike” sentencing should be abolished.
WHY SHOULD IT BE ABOLISHED?
(FINAL DRAFT)
Tanisha Tate
CRMJ400: Criminology
Professor Conis
Course Paper: Final
February 13, 2011
Tanisha Tate
CRMJ400: Criminology
Professor Conis
Course Paper
February 13, 2011
The “Three Strike” Sentencing
The criminal justice issue that has been chosen as the topic on this course project is the “three strike” sentencing and how it should be abolished. The three strike sentencing was established in 1994 under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. (Harris, 1995). In this act, the statute of three strike sentencing provides a mandatory life imprisonment sentence for convicted felons that have been convicted in a federal court for a serious and/or violent felony and they commit two or more previous crimes that they are convicted of in federal and/or state court system in which at least one of the crimes is a serious and/or violent crime. These crimes can be but are not limited to murder, sex offenses, robbery, and kidnapping.
The issue at hand is the question whether this act is really as effective as it is made out to be. Convicted felons are given two more chances to straighten up their acts and get their lives together to be able to live and reside in society. I believe that people who are convicted of a serious crime the first go-round should be punish by the same seriousness as the crime in which he or she committed. If they are giving a second chance to make become civilized and they commit another serious crime, then that should be an automatic life imprisonment sentence. I do not believe that they should be given a third chance. Once someone who commits a crime, they have the potential to commit the same or even more severe crime. It should not have to take the law and criminal justice system three chances to realize that a convicted felon is unfit to live along side with civilians. With this being said, this “three strike” sentencing should be abolished.
References: Messerli, J. (2006, October 15). Is the three-strike law, which provides mandatory 25-to-life sentences for a third felony conviction, a good idea? In Three Strikes Law May 20, 2010, from http://www.balancedpolitics.org/three_strikes.htm Kitchen, R California 's Legislative Analyst 's Office. (1995, February 22). The Three Strikes and You 're Out Law. In Analysis of the 1995-96 Budget Bill. Retrieved May 20, 2010, from http://www.lao.ca.gov/analysis_1995/3strikes.html Murphy, J