Aging Behind Bars: "Three Strikes" Seven Years Later

Amidst a perceived escalating crime rate and in the wake of the highly publicized murders of two young girls, in March of 1994 Governor Pete Wilson (R) signed into law California's "Three Strikes and You're Out" legislation. The law, as asserted by its staunchest supporters, was designed to isolate and punish the most serious, habitual offenders. By doing so, proponents suggested that resources targeted at the apprehension and conviction of only the most consistent repeat offenders would reap exponential benefits in crime control.

As of May 31, 2001, more than 50,000 offenders had been admitted to prison under the law—6,721 for "three strikes" offenses and an additional 43,800 under the law's "second strike" provision. This analysis focuses on the impact of the "three strikes" law in California because that state stands alone in the breadth of its policy.