|
|
|
|
|
|
Resources |
|
|
|
The "Three Strikes" Law
| Article
# : |
23037 |
|
|
Section : |
EDITORIAL
|
| Issue
Date : |
5 / 2003 |
299 Words |
| Author
: |
Masha Nordbye is a writer and TV documentary producer who has
traveled through more than one hundred countries. Her latest
book is Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Golden Ring (Odyssey). |
David Slade's article, "Three Strikes and You're Out!" [January 2003, p. 54], caught our attention. The article tells of Leandro Andrade, a man thrice convicted of shoplifting videotapes, who was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 50 years--the same sentence for first-degree murder--because of the "three strikes" law in the state of California.
We believe that with a law so broad, there is sure to be controversy. So many crimes are committed, each of different severity. Lumping them together under one sentence is not the answer. In our opinion, the three strikes law is too general to be fair in the modern judicial system. We think that repeat offenders should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, rather than having a criminal who has committed nonviolent crimes be given an overzealous punishment.
The very nature of justice is fairness. Shouldn't the punishment fit the crime? Shouldn't there be more of a correlation between the crime and punishment, rather than a quick-fix, "lock-em-up-and-throw-away-the-key" answer to every crime, no matter how small (as long as there's three of them). Is a murderer the same as a thief? Is a rapist the same as a tax cheat? Is a child molester the same as a drug dealer?
Regardless of the answer, they are being punished as if they were the same. We understand that the three strikes law is an attempt to crack down on repeat offenders, and the notion is a noble one, but the nigh infinitely broad spectrum of crime isn't something that can be treated with a standard singular punishment. We in no way mean this as sympathy for criminals, but it needs to be said that first-degree murder and
... (1991 of 1807 Characters)
Read Full Article
|
|
