3 Strikes and You're Out: After 20 Years, Is the Law Working? | Retro Report | The New York Times 

Why is it that the non-violent criminals get 25 to life and the violent criminals get 4 years when the law intends the exact opposite?

*I always thought that the “three strikes” law should require that each felony MUST be a violent crime.* *Anything less is unjust, period.*

Yeah, the law is working very well for the industrial prison complex.

3 strikes for violent crime, not petty crime

It seems like this law could’ve worked great had they kept the criteria for it strictly to violent crimes. Why in the world were people getting 25 to life for petty crimes? What’s even funnier is that this is totally unconstitutional. According to the 8th amendment “cruel and unusual punishments” are outlawed. Giving someone life for petty theft is definitely cruel.

4 years for murder?

Three for violent NOT petty stuff.

The real problem is that people have an incredibly narrow view on crime. People always think there is going to be that one simple solution.

If the law was being used consistently it might have been more successful 😢

Prison Cells should ONLY be filled with dangerous VIOLENT criminals. House arrest and GPS monitoring should be used for all non-violent crimes.

Half the Government has 3 Strikes already !

Bring back the 3 strikes law because we need it now more than ever!

This is offensive but not just because it was a recipe for mass incarnation but also because it is one of the worse baseball analogies ever....

kidnapping and stealing a slice of pizza are not the same on any level. And ain't kidnappin could be life without parole hooks? or less. Why'd he get a soft sentence when judge coulda jammed him for life.

3 strikes for serious and violent crime is a good thing.....but 3 strikes for any crime might be one of the most idiotic things I've ever heard! How could intelligent people even think its a good idea! Life in prison for petty crimes like stealing a pizza or a bike!

According to LaDoris Cordell @10:06: "The worst way to enact a law is to do it in an emotional, angry response, to two horrific crimes. I feel for the Mike Reynold's and the Mark Klass' of the world, but the same time, they are not the ones who should be crafting and drafting our laws." Amen to that! Any such laws that are knee-jerk reactions have the least amount of rationality and more of stuff border lining insanity.

Robbing people at ATMs is a violent crime

Overcrowded prisons, time to clean the rifles and get the firing squad back in action. Solves overcrowded prisons.

25 to life for non-violent crimes? No wonder the American justice system is broken.

somebody brings a 357 mag to my head i'm dropping the pocket book.

Rehabilitation people.... rehabilitation.

It should be for violent crimes only, not for cookie monsters or beer thiefs. There are to many ignorant people put in state And government offices.

This law would’ve done a lot more good had it only focused on violent offenders. People were outraged at the crime in this country in the 90s and rightfully so. But that doesn’t mean that we should give disproportionate sentences to non-violent offenders, even if there has been violence in their past, unless they commit three violent felonies, the 3 strikes law shouldn’t be used.

It is apparent that the 3 strikes law is not working. It is not being utilised in the way it was intended,i.e.: for habitual violent and serious offenders. To incarcerate a human being for 25 years for a misdemeanour offence is 'criminal'. Mandatory sentencing removes discretionary powers from judges, this is disproportionate, cruel and unusual punishment-a breach of both human and constitutional rights. The incarcerated population still deserve to be treated with dignity.

Had the guy who killed this mans daughter been black, he would have got the death penalty

Great video. This whole series is great. But come on Mr. District Attorney, that scarf lmao.

Why wait for the the next crime to be violent… seems like they sentince ‘crimes’ like a vigilante killing of a pedo for longer than the pedo that kills the kid.

The law has never worked. It has pluck out the the weakest (for the most infinitesimal crimes) pretending to have captured the worst.

Define irony you pass a law to put the very perpetrators who murdered your daughter away for good only to find out he got let go

If youre pro 3strikes, youve never seen an entire family shattered because of the men in it dissapearing for 25 to life for selling or using drugs as young men.

Florida has it right when it comes to 3 strikes law. Not only all 3 strikes have to be serious, violent felonies all committed within just 5 years, not 10, or 30. But the best part of it all, is the judge's hands are not tied to a chair being forced to sentenced everybody who commits 3 violent felonies to life in prison, like in California. And so striking a criminal with a 3rd violent felony out is an OPTION for a judges, rather than an OBLIGATION that ties their hands. It allows proper right discretion as judges are known and feared as.

What always frustrates me when it comes to crime and punishment is that “the public” only sees punishment as the way to cut crime. There will be a pool of criminals in society if there is a “market” for it. As long as there are poor people who are unable to get by, there will be crime. Decriminalize drug use, provide homes for the homeless and provide a UBI for everyone. You’ll see crime drop hard.

The common person is scared to touch stuff they don't know: After-3, you are out.

Prison corporations must love this system

The land of discrimination and racism in the name of the law

Laws based on revenge do not reduce crime.

The reduction of lead in children's body's is a big reason for lowered crime rates

When society abandons criminals it shouldn’t be surprised when the criminals abandon society. Don’t expect people to not be a criminal when you do nothing to help them go back into society and push them further out of society participation

If you haven't learned your lesson after 2 chance you deserve it

Funny country

3 strikes for "violent crimes and drug dealers" ! Violent animals and scum selling poison to our kids should be in cages.

Washington state...putting parents away and breaking up families over stealing doughnuts, barfights, etc, etc...

Who else is here because they watched "13th" on Netflix

80 billion dollars could change all the criminal mind and could turn them to productive society but government don’t care bout the society become good or bad shame.

Education and crime are directly related. When you have a more educated society petty crimes are greatly reduced. People who are child molesters or violent people will still exist, but law enforcement would not have to deal with the lesser criminals.

Quite a bit of misleading information here. For one, as I recall DA Garcetti was abusing prosecutorial discretion by charging Life sentences for petty offenses. Fact is, the discretion of prosecutors is integral to the Three Strikes process. Further, the court has the discretion to not sentence pursuant to "Strikes" law if it finds the defendant outside the spirit of the law, which is arguably the case for any petty theft/simple possession type conduct. (See People v. Romero)

4 years for murder???? It should be life !

By definition criminals break the law. You can't change the laws and expect a change in the criminal, you change the criminal through education, counseling and employment opportunities.

That law turn minor criminals into cop killers. Even I would rather go down that road then life in jail.

The guy they show being released at the end was just tossed in prison for life for three new strikes 3 years ago.

Yes is working for the good person and hard working people. You not go to jail for nothing you doing bad pay bad i hope 3 strike and get life sentence we need more than ever who care about low crime turn in a big crime is better early them late

Soviet Union ? We have more locked up than they did...hmmmm Tough on crime harsh sentencing...but not for my little Johnny...he is a good boy give him a break but throw away the keys for everyone else. Hypocrites. שלום

The 3 strikes law should only be for violent felony’s! And even then, there should be a judge tributary that determines if a life sense is mandated, deciding if there is not hope. What happened to mandatory military service for those facing charges like in the 50s and 60s? I don’t know if that was a myth, but there were military u it’s full of convicts and train them for infantry purposes, except without military benefits, which can be earned later after a probationary period. Boom, less crowding in prisons, more military for cheaper, plus if anyone try’s to desert then he can be shot for AWOL under military code. I’m sure many would sign up instead of prison? What do you guys think???

If you took all non-violent drug offenders out of jail,the over population jails would be no more & federal & state Goverments would save billions of dollars a year.

No it’s not. Tax payers are suffering

bill clinton needs to be in prison

Only when we start to approach crime as a problem that be best fixed through rehabilitation as opposed to through punitive measures, will we start to see society's problems of crime be curbed to a great extent.

We need to change the law. It’s outdated

it both worked and got carried away.... this isn't so simple

I think lots of man under the 3 strike law deserves a second chance to live the rest of there life's with their love ones I know some of them did violent crimes and I apologize to the families hurt by some encarcerated people, on thoe there's a lot who were locked up under the 3 strike law for crimes that involved bad decisions but not murder like robery, drug offenses, I'm not excusing them but me as a person growing in the 90's you didn't had many choices,, either you stand up for yourself, and nobody force you but SOMEHOW IT WAS MANDATORY TO GET COUGHT UP IN GANGS, DRUGS, PRESSURE FROM OLDERS TO THE THE YOUTH OF 90'S TO DO WHAT IT NEED IT TO BE DONE MANY OF THE 3STRIKE NEED EMOTIONAL, MENTAL, SUPPORT ACCEPTANCE AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THE WORLD THE CAPABILITY, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE OF THEIR MISTAKES TO DO GREAT AND BE A SUPPORT TO THE SOCIETY, SOME OF THEM GOT SENTENCE TO LIFE AT THEIR EARLY 20'S A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS TO GROW UP SURVIVING IN A HOOD, YEA NOBODY PUT A HEAD ON THEIR HEAD N FORCE THEM BUT SOMEHOW IT WAS LOW KEY MANDATORY TO GET COUGHT UP IN THE MIX BECAUSE YOU GREW UP IN THAT TIME, THERE WAS ALSO MANY CROOKED, CORRUPT COPS, WHO WERE RACIST AND BLAME MANY FOR CRIMES THEY NEVER COMMIT. I'M NOT ACCUSING NOBODY BUT IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE, OPPORTUNITY, AND COMPASSION, SEE WHO They ARE KNOW THEIR MENTALITY,GOALS,DREAM THEY WANT TO ACHIEVE AND GIVE THEM A SECOND CHANCE WE ARE ALL HUMANS MADE MISTAKES AND MOST OF THE 3 STRIKE POPULATION ARE HISPANICS,AND BLACK , WHEN THE ANGLOS COMMITTED CRUELEST CRIMES. GOD BLESS EVERYONE AND TRY TO SEE THE GOOD IN PEOPLE DONT CONDEMNED AN INDIVIDUAL FOR THEIR MISTAKES OR A WAY TO SURVIVE IN THAT TIME, I HAVE NO CRIMES, NO CRIMINAL RECORD I APPLY FOR WORK, BECAUSE I KNOW HOW TO WORK BUT DUE TO LEGAL STATUS, PRESSURE, MISREPRESENTATION, LOW BUDGET AND ALSO MY IGNORANCE IN LAW I STILL STRUGGLE WITH GETTING HIRED FOR A JOB, AND BELIEVE ME THAT SOMETIMES DOING SOMETHING COMES TO MY MIND NOT BECAUSE I WANT TO HURT OTHERS IS BECAUSE I NEED TO FEED MY FAMILY, AND I TRIED SO HARD TO DO IT RIGHT WHAT HAVE I RECEIVED GETTING YELLED OFF AND HUMILIATED IN PUBLIC BY SOME EMPLOYERS FOR BEING ILEGAL, MAKING ME FEEL LIKE IF I'M A WORTHLESS PERSON MAKING ME LOOK LIKE A CRIMINAL IN FRONT OF MY CO WORKERS BECAUSE THE EMPLOYER IN FRONT OF EVERYONE ACCUSED ME OF THINGS I NEVER DONE, I HAD EMPLOYERS WHO DOESN'T PAY ME WHEN THEY FIND OUT MY SITUATION, GETTING MY HOURS ADJUSTED TO WHAT THEY WANT TO PAY ME, GETTING LOTS OF OVERTIME DISAPPEARED FROM A PAYMENT BECAUSE I'M IN THIS SITUATION, AND THAT'S A CRIME TOO BUT LIKE THEY SAY WHO ARE THEY GOING TO BELIEVE ME OR THEM WHO HAS ARE BUSINESS OWNERS AND HAVE A BACKGROUND THAT PROVES THEIR POWER. WHAT WOULD YOU DO? I KNOW SOME WILL LAUGH, TELL ME AWFUL THINGS BUT I GREW UP HERE I GOT NO FAMILY IN MY COUNTRY, THEY SAY GO BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY AND THE ONLY COUNTRY I KNOW AND CONSIDER MY HOME IS HERE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

How about not be a criminal !!🙄..No such thing as petty crime. DONT BREAK THE LAW!

I disagree with most of you. There are nonviolent crimes that are just as bad. You need to make sure bills are properly worded or you'll have what we have today. For example traffikers, dealers, idenity thevies, rakeetering, car theives, organized retail theft, home burgulars, drunk drivers, peds that exchange images online. If someone stole a sandwich and chips or got into an argument that is considered petty. Again make sure it is properly worded or else you see what we're dealing with today. Soft on crime is not working. Consequences and prisen reform for better rehabilitation is what we need.

7:51 It doesn't bother me. Petty theft was rampant. I saw it at school. I saw it at 7-11. I saw it at public functions. I saw it at ball games. And these were scum that didn't care whose property they stole. They didn't care that someone had worked hard to earn money to buy "a slice of pizza" or a fast food meal, or a bike, or whatever it was. The law didn't over reach. Society failed to put a control on those people early on.

The three strikes law guarantees Prison business.

There should be a transcript for this video. It is really amazing and can be used to help many people understand this law.

this video isn't even popular enough for my comments

This makes me wanna cry 😭😭

I agree that the time should fit the crime but frankly I cannot understand why murderers and rapists are kept alive! All the arguments in favor of humanitarian sentences fall short of logic when your little girl is murdered! Death penalty is the only option that makes sense then!

Right now because of three strikes California prisons are overcrowded. It seems my state has a choice. Either get rid of laws like three strikes or get used to catch and release programs in county jails. Otherwise, ha ha ha pay the piper.

It’s a great idea. The woman complaining in the video should let the petty thief’s in her house if she wants. I don’t want them stealing my things. Why should good people have to deal with thief’s and mentally ill? Bet she doesn’t want them anywhere near where she lives. Now they have unlimited strikes abd can steal all they want

Prison pipeline?

Good news story, but can I trust the nyt... Sad that I don't know

Do Knockout game assaults by a certain demographic count under 3 strikes law?

my teacher has our class watch these videos and now its my raping my youtube algorithim

Laws create crime it can't be stopped

What does this have to do with black people?

Safe the jail cells for all violent offenders & keep them there.

Thank god my cookies are safe

This should be 5 strikes not three same for profiling scores

So can the 3rd strike currently be any crime or a only serious one?

When they said it was spreading like wildfire in *California* that should have been an aminous sign to all involved.

when the system fail you , you create your own .....

Definitely it got carried away

you snatch a piece of ANYTHING out of a stranger's hands- that is robbery. A violent crime in whih the violence can easily escalate to lethality. There is no petty case of snatching pizza from kids, or cookies from children. Is it petty if a grown man slaps a child that is not known to him, in public?

3;02

Non Violent crimes... The first crime the dude did was holding up people up at gun point out the front of ATMs

America, let this sink in: Highest incarnated citizens in the world, approaching 3 million at a cost of $80 billion annually - and climbing. God job, US of A.

I was a ‘low level’ criminal, thank god someone noticed me when I was in court for my twenty whatever th shoplifting charge. Denver Drug Court saved my life, next week is year 3 with no street drugs in my system and no police contact!🎉

This is one of the biggest cases of mental gymnastics ever. Ok in response to murders and kidnappings we are going to put thieves in jail for life and still let the murderers go. Like lmao its pretty obvious what the public wanted, they wanted violent criminals erased from existance, not some guy stealing a pizza like how did the judge even agree with that. "You know the rules I gotta lock you up forever cuz its your third stolen cookie." Also my dude why do murderers even get 3 strikes? Like just make it so if you commit a violent crime once and you some how are let out of jail and do another one you should just be executed because you obviously won't stop.

I don’t know. If you steal a child’s pizza, something’s wrong with you

The 3 strike was misused.

6:20 yeah he wasn't probably robbing those people with stick and stone but with the gun. So that isn't so petty crime as he talks about....

In some years the NYT will come out with another Retro Report video on how reforming Three Strikes has been disastrous.

Prisons are private now. Private companies do what they can to get more customers, including lobbying politicians. Put it together.

Everytime I see Ol' Gil, he is sporting some sort of stupid scarf. What does he think he is? Some sort of WWI pilot?

That donut was worth it

The historic low of crime Isn’t actually a low compared to the uk

I'm also a three Striker I just got released 35 to life for misdemeanor and a 25 to Life two life sentences I just thank God

Lock these clowns up.

California liberals