Three Strikes Laws: Why does California hate black people?

Question

California's infamous Three Strikes Laws, which hand out a life sentence based upon the alleged unredeemable character of a convict, rather than a sentence befitting the crime, has succeeded in producing a 50% rate of all those convicted under this law being black.

Even though 12% of the population is black.

That's right, half (50%) of all those receiving a life sentence under California's Three Strikes Laws are black, but only 1-in-8 citizens are black?

Is this Californias way of dealing with poverty-stricken troubled youth?

Sure looks like it.

Time to end this Three Strikes Law madness and put judgement back into the hands of judges and juries, instead of power-hungry legislators.

Fair enough, someone asked for a solution, and I should give one. While I prefer that judges and juries decide sentencing, I would be okay if the legislators said that after the "third strike", all sentences for particular crimes would be the max.

So maybe stealing video tapes has a penalty range of "probation" to "1 year in state jail". Then a "3rd Striker" would automatically get the "1 year in jail" for such a crime.

Or, a robbery might have a "2 to 15 years in prison" penalty, so a "3rd striker" would automatically get the "15 years".

But the problem with todays 3 strikes, where misdemeanors can be upped to felonies and incure a mandatory life sentence is wrong. Just wrong. There is no way someone who had a troubled youth and committed a couple of crimes should as an adult get life for being caught with a marajuana cigarettte.

Three Strikes Law is evil law. Not even the Nazi's did that.

I used the phrase "Why does California hate black people?" as a parody of the Leftists' statement "Why does George Bush hate black people?"

Yes, I know that blacks have a higher proportion of crime than other groups, and partly this is their fault and partly because of the hand society has dealt them.

However, we all need to look at this "Orwellian" Three Strikes stuff as our nation gets more computerized and more on camera, and essentially evolves into a techno-police state.

Like I said, I'd trust a judge and jury any day over a legislator. The former are there to do the right thing, the latter is just pandering for votes (i.e., "Being tough on crime", etc...)

Answer 1

ok its is a mornic law but what can you expect from caly but its not racist most crimes are commied by blacks im black and my 2 hommies in prison make it clear

Answer 2

The law does not target blacks. Or anyone else for that matter. Anyone can be convicted on a third strike offense. There are just as many poverty srickent hispanics and asians in California. Much of what happens in the black community...the gang related violence in particular...is self inflicted wounds. There have been a hundre cultures who have come to the US in general and LA in particular who have risen above the poverty stricken stage, instilled morals and value into their youth and over a few generations...sometimes much less...have overcome these obstacles. For some reason, some cultures cant seem to do that. It isnt fair to say "blacks" cant do that. Becasue certainly, that is not true. But the people who think of gang violence as an acceptable way of life, will not cooperate with police in investigations, and who declare turf wars faster than Bush in the middle east will never rise above it because on some level, it is a choice.

So, for that small faction of people...black,, white, asian, hispanic...whatever...there will be a high level of repeat offenses. You blame the law for punishing them. I blame them for breaking the law. And I didnt grow up with a silver spoon. I grew up in a place that dared me to get out. I did. Wasnt easy. But I did.

As for judges having discretion, California actually made changes in the three strikes rule that does give judges discretion if the third strike is non violent run of the mill breaking the law. But I can tell you that if a judge HAS discretion and someone...anyone...comes up as a three time loser on a violent crime, that person may wish some judges in California did not have discretion. Most of them are tired of seeing innocent people killed in gang violence. They are tired of seeing drug related offenses, prostitution, child abuse, harrassment and assault in the streets. They are tired of a community that has pretty much turned it's back on law enforcement and society in general.

Yes, the children of these people are often poverty stricken. And it is tragic. But if you want to find a solution to that noise, look to the social structure of the culture first. Blame is an easy thing to assess when it's on someone else.

By the way, I'd really like to see where you got the statistics from.

Answer 3

Maybe the law should be amended so that if you're white you only get 3 strikes, but if you're black you get 10. Is that what you're suggesting?

Or perhaps it should stipulate that the number of strikes varies constantly to make sure that the percentage of blacks given life sentences never exceeds the percentage of blacks in the general population?

Granted, there is a certain systemic predjudice in our society that causes blacks to be targeted, arrested and convicted at a higher rate than is warranted. However, be that as it may, even without that systemic flaw, blacks still commit WAY more than their share of crimes. Why is that?

So sure, the systemic problems should be addressed. But I think that is the much smaller part of the problem. And it seems to me that the black community puts a lot more energy into whining about that injustice, than they do addressing the HUGE problem of why the he** do so many blacks commit drug crimes and violent crimes and what can be done to change it!

And by what can be done to change it, I suggest that the black community not view that as what can the government and society do for us but rather what can we do for ourselves to address this problem and fix it.

Answer 4

Perhaps it is because the majority of the crimes are being comitted by blacks?

It is not the law or the state that "hates blacks" it's the enduring issue that blacks are their own worst enemy and rather than contribute to society a large portion of opting to contribute only to prison over population.

Answer 5

3 strikes laws generally don't work. However, no misdemeanors are being increased to felonies. This also has nothing to do with being black. I think by stating this as fact, you are in fact being a racist.

The 3 strikes law in CA was passed by the people - about 78% in fact - not by legislators.

Answer 6

I think it should be 3 stikes your out, but only if the strikes are deliberate violent crimes, no accidents or bad judgement. Only certain crimes, not all felonys. If a man shoots someone why should he get another chance to strike, it should be one strike your out. You really need to ask those black men why they are breaking the law.

Answer 7

Sounds to me like more blacks commit repeat offenses than whites.

What's your point?

If you've been convicted of two felonies, and you know the next one will be a live sentence, and you commit another felony, you are so stupid you should be in jail for life!

Answer 8

Its not that 50% of the people who are receiving life sentences are black its just that 50% of the people who are commiting the crimes are black. Thats nobodies fault but their own.

Answer 9

If you haven't learned your lesson by third crime you are never going to learn. Why should the rest of us law abiding citizens be forced to live with criminals stealing and destroying our neighborhoods. I don't care what color you are. You know the rules and if you don't follow them prison is where you will end up.

Answer 10

If they would stop after the first crime, maybe the slime wouldn't be in jail under 3 strikes.

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

Answer 11

seriously it has nothing to do with a skin color! It has to do with the crimes! If the punishment fits so be it!
Three strikes has no color code a white man makes the same mistakes as a black man...they broke the law and must be punished