Thursday, February 23, 2012


Three Strikes Reform Act Gaining Momentum
By: Miles Maurino
            Two Stanford Law School professors, David Mills and Michael Romano, have written a ballot initiative that would reduce the number of inmates that are currently incarcerated under the Three Strikes Law.  The Three Strikes Reform Act most significant reform proposes is for non-violent, non-serious felons to receive twice the normal sentence on the third felony offense instead of a life sentence.  One of the main goals of the bill aims to remove courts power to sentence convicts to 25 to life when their crimes have been neither violent nor serious.  Currently, California is the only state that allows for third time offenders, regardless of the crime, to be sentenced to life in prison.
            According to the Office of the Attorney General the main components of the ballot initiative will be as follows:
1. Requires that murderers, rapists, child molesters will receive life sentences, even if they are convicted of a new minor third strike crime.
2. Requires life sentence only when a defendant’s current conviction is for a violent or serious crime.
3. Maintains that repeat offenders convicted of non-violent, non-serious crimes like shoplifting and simple drug possession will receive twice the normal sentence instead of 25 years to life.
4. Save the State hundreds of million dollars.  The State will no longer pay for housing, long term health care for elderly, low-risk, non-violent inmates serving life sentences for minor crimes.
5. Prevent the early release of dangerous criminals who are currently being released early because jails and prisons are so overcrowded.
            To qualify for the ballot in November, the initiative will need to gather 504,000 signatures by May 14.  A challenge of that magnitude puts significant pressure for supporters to adequately fundraise, which they have done so to date.  As of February 12th , advocates have raised over $1.2 million, but the funding has primarily been donated by only three donors.  According to thecriminalreport.org $600,000 was contributed by initiative author David Mills; $500,000 by philanthropist George Soros and $100,000 chipped in from Washington D.C. investor Peter Ackerman. 
The initiative aims to restore the original purpose of the Three Strikes Law (to lock up serious, violent offenders) and to ensure that state resources are not being exploited by incarcerating non-serious offenders.  A similar measure was proposed in 2004 but was defeated after an onslaught of attack ads spearheaded by then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Nonetheless it was rejected with 47.3% of the vote, leaving the door open for victory this time around.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Allied with FACTS

Families to Amend California’s Three Strikes ( FACTS) is a profound and competent organization with community leaders, media-savvy activists, and local experts on the abuses of California’s Three Strikes law that are fighting to change the broadest and harshest Three Strikes law in the nation. She plays an active and constructive role in reforming the Three Strike law which aims at striving for the fairness and justice in the criminal justice system. We at Project Rebound are one of the community allies and we want to be proactive in getting the Three Strikes law taken away.
   
    Through making use of media coverage and community networks, FACTS is able to enhanced public’s understanding of Three Strikes. As a result, according to 2004 Poll, more than 65% of Californians support altering the law. Even the Klass family themselves who have suffered greatly never intended the law to become what it has today.     Vote to get rid of Three Strikes