Offenders' Stories - Three Strikes Law

Stories of Those Affected

Drawing by 3 strikes prisoner Rene

What would you do if your father was sentenced to life in prison for trying to give your children movies for Christmas? What about if it was your brother, sister, wife, or child? What if the sentence was in response to the petty theft of a coat that was used to avoid life threatening over exposure to the cold weather? Does your answer to these questions change if you were to discover that the person being sentenced was also convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and rape previously? This thin line is what the Three Strikes Law in the State of California must walk. Supporters of the law argue that it keeps violent offenders off the street and hasn’t increased prison crowding or hurt the finances of the state. Opponents argue, on the other hand, that it wrongly imprisons individuals for far excessive and out of proportion sentences thus creating prison overcrowding and budget deficit issues. This isn’t the page that will delineate the financial benefits, the prison discussion, or even whether or not the law has worked while it has been in effect; rather, this is the page where you have the opportunity to read about people personally affected by the law, for the better, and the worse.

The Three Strikes Law affects people daily and shouldn’t be swept under the rug as an old law that will never be repealed or amended. Please read the stories, check the other pages, and investigate the links provided to form an educated opinion. Times change, and sometimes our laws must change as well.

Stories of Those Affected

Leandro Andrade

Charlie Samuel

Michael Branson

Kevin Weber

Gregory Taylor

Richard Allen Davis

Steven Bell