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The three-strikes laws end up increasing the homicide rate (from MetaFilter):

Although it might seem that such "tough-on-crime" legislation would increase public safety, the opposite has been found to be true. Felons who calculate they will receive the same punishment for murder as they would for having a third strike, kill their victims to avoid detection and police officers to avoid apprehension.

Many police organizations oppose "three-strikes" laws for this reason, said senior author John Sloan III, an associate professor of Justice Studies at the Birmingham campus.

The article "Unintended Consequences of Politically Popular Sentencing Policy: The Homicide-Promoting Effects of 'Three Strikes' in U.S. Cities (1980-1999)," written with assistant professors Tomislav V. Kovandzic and Lynee M. Vieraitis, appears in the current issue of Criminology & Public Policy.
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"These laws not only don't work, they increase homicides," Sloan told UPI.

I just hope that our political leaders will get a clue and repeal the counter-productive mandatory sentencing laws.
posted by Julian at 12:15 AM