Three strikes movie update#
Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. A three-strikes system achieves uniformity in punishment of criminals in a certain class (viz., three-time offenders) in a way that is analogous to how a fast food restaurant achieves uniformity of its product. Three-strikes laws have been cited as an example of the McDonaldization of punishment, in which the focus of criminological and penological interest has shifted away from retribution and treatment tailored to the individual offender and toward the control of high-risk groups based on aggregations and statistical averages. A 1997 study found that in California, "the three-strikes law did not decrease serious crime or petty theft rates below the level expected on the basis of preexisting trends."
By 2004, twenty-six states and the federal government had laws that satisfy the general criteria for designation as "three-strikes" statutes-namely, that a third felony conviction brings a sentence of 20 to life where 20 years must be served before becoming parole eligible. The concept swiftly spread to other states, but none of them chose to adopt a law as sweeping as California's.
Three strikes movie code#
The initiative proposed to the voters had the title of Three Strikes and You're Out, referring to de facto life imprisonment after being convicted of three violent or serious felonies which are listed under California Penal Code section 1192.7. California passed its own in 1994, when their voters passed Proposition 184 by an overwhelming majority, with 72% in favor and 28% against. The first true "three-strikes" law was passed in 1993, when Washington voters approved Initiative 593. In late 1928 Etta Mae Miller, a mother of four was found guilty under this law sparking outrage. The law required a life sentence for those violating liquor laws for the fourth time. But such sentences were not compulsory in each case, and judges had much more discretion as to what term of incarceration should be imposed.ĭuring Prohibition the state of Michigan enacted one of the harshest laws against bootlegging in the nation. For example, New York State had a long-standing Persistent Felony Offender law dating back to the early 20th century (partially ruled unconstitutional in 2010, but reaffirmed en banc shortly after ). However, there is a more recent history of mandatory prison sentences for repeat offenders. The practice of imposing longer prison sentences on repeat offenders (versus first-time offenders who commit the same crime) is nothing new, as judges often take into consideration prior offenses when sentencing. The expression "Three strikes and you are out" is derived from baseball, where a batter against whom three strikes are recorded strikes out.
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. In most jurisdictions, only crimes at the felony level qualify as serious offenses. A person accused under such laws is referred to in a few states (notably Connecticut and Kansas) as a " persistent offender", while Missouri uses the unique term " prior and persistent offender". Twenty-eight states have some form of a "three-strikes" law. The purpose of the laws is to drastically increase the punishment of those who continue to commit offenses after being convicted of one or two serious crimes.
These laws require a person who is convicted of an offense and who has one or two other previous serious convictions to serve a mandatory life sentence in prison, with or without parole depending on the jurisdiction. In the United States, habitual offender laws (commonly referred to as three-strikes laws) have been implemented since at least 1952, and are part of the United States Justice Department's Anti-Violence Strategy.
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