NCJ Number
167970
Date Published
1997
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Thirty-seven States that have either not enacted three-strikes laws or had not adopted the law until 1995 were compared with the 13 States that enacted such laws in 1993 or 1994 to determine the impacts of these laws on crime.
Abstract
The analysis used data on violent crime and total crime in 1994 and 1995. Results revealed that both violent crime and nonviolent crime declined more rapidly in States without three-strikes laws than in States with these laws. The results also refuted the claim of elected officials that parolees in three-strikes States have increased their requests for transfers out of State. Findings indicated that the effectiveness of three-strikes laws is inconclusive. However, in some States these laws will cost taxpayers significantly more money to build more prisons to house more three-strike offenders. Ultimately, three-strikes legislation and other panaceas point out the futility of piecemeal approaches to achieving a safer society. Figures and appended tables