NCJ Number
179447
Journal
Update Dated: October 1999 Pages: 1-5
Date Published
October 1999
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This report examines trends in inmate populations in the California Department of Corrections (CDC) as a result of the three strikes legislation enacted in March 1994.
Abstract
The law established substantially longer prison sentences for persons who have been previously committed of a violent or serious crime. About 43,000 inmates had been admitted to State prison for a second strike as of the end of September 1999. About 5,700 inmates had been admitted to State prison for a third strike. The admissions trends for second and third strikers have been stable over the past 3 years; 700 to 900 second strikers and about 100 third strikers are admitted to prison each month. More than 10,000 second strikers have already been released from prison to parole; they were probably convicted of low-level offenses resulting in relatively short prison terms, even with the doubling of the sentences for second strikers. None of the third strikers has been released on parole, because third strikers receive sentences of at least 25 years to life. The CDC predicts that the second-strike population will reach about 31,300 by the end of June 2000 and increase further to about 38,100 by the end of June 2005. The CDC predicts, that the third-strike population will reach 6,600 by June 30, 2000, and more than 12,000 by June 30, 2005. Second strikers and third strikers have become a significantly larger proportion of the prison population. These increases will have implications for the costs, operation, and security needs of the prison system. Figures and table