One strike, two strikes, three strikes and you’re out! A phrase used most commonly when referring to the popular game of baseball where after three invalid strikes, the player remains out of the game for the following round. Similar to the conditions of baseball, California among 27 other states share the common practice of the “Three strikes law.” Following the concept of baseball, the three strikes law states that if  a recidivist criminal has two previous felonies, the conviction of a third yet more serious or violent crime goes through enhanced sentencing with a minimum of an added sentence of 25 years.

Over the past decades, going back to 1994 when the law was first passed, the Three Strikes law has been a controversial topic dabbling over different positions of whether it should or shouldn't be eliminated. I personally believe that the three strikes law should be eliminated yet that in some cases of reluctant progress among repeated felonies that it should be reinforced. As the three strikes law can be proved effective and not of use simultaneously, I have a neutral point of view over both sides.

According to a study done by the Campaign for an Effective Crime Policy, the prisons in states allowing the third strike law came with the burden of a clogged court system, along with overcrowded prisons and an inability to maintain further conditions along a period of time. In addition to the lack of maintaining the amount of added sentences, in some cases the law favors more towards the interest of prison systems than in the interest of justice. Some common cases face injustice over a minor offense such as taxes where they are handled under the same terms as a first degree homicide under a ratio of a minimum of 25 years up to a life sentence in jail.
In opposition to negative critics over the three strikes law, the Legislative Analyst’s Office states that violent crime in California decreased by 51% from 1991 to 2003 due to effects of passing the new legislation. In cases of recidivism, the three strikes law should be reinforced as it keeps criminals away from society for a longer time preventing additional crimes to spread, where according to a study, more than 2 million crime victims were spared in California as a result. Another beneficial aspect of this law is how it allows crime offenders to think more over their actions in order to keep their life out of a downward spiral.

Overall, I believe that the Three Strikes Law has been effective over the years, yet it has also had negative connotations. A numerous amount of criminals with an ongoing criminal record have been brought to justice through this legislation, yet there is also a numerous amount of innocent people sent to jail.