Arguments Against the “Three Strikes and You’re Out” Legislation

Arguments Against the “Three Strikes and You’re Out” Legislation
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Arguments Against the “Three Strikes and You’re Out” Legislation
Proponents of the “Three Strikes and You’re Out” policy believed it would augment public safety by imprisoning criminals and reducing the prevalence of severe, repeat crimes by instituting stricter sentencing. However, the policy is achieving contrary objectives in the states that use it. All three strikes are likely to age and die in correctional facilities due to the compulsory life imprisonment sentence without the chance for parole. The cost of managing the older prison population is daunting, with over 48 percent of the inmates aged 50 years and above (Columbia Legal Services, 2019). In addition, it should be recognized that the average age of the three strikers is 49. Criminal activity normally escalates during adolescence and typically declines after age fifty (Columbia Legal Services, 2019). Therefore, sustaining the increasingly elderly prison population is unnecessary and expensive, thus the need to repeal the policy. Accordingly, recidivism rates red...