“The study showed that more than 4,000 inmates in California are serving life sentences for nonviolent offenses under the three-strikes law. Although judges have sentencing discretion in a very narrow band of three-strikes cases, the reality is that judges almost universally consider themselves bound under California law to impose a life sentence for a third felony offense, no matter how minor. We also learned that the law is disproportionately applied to minorities, the mentally ill and the poor.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/opinion/three-strikes-of-injustice.html?_r=1
Related posts:
Del. hospital doctor busted for selling illegal drugs for Bitcoins
Virtual Currency Gains Ground in Actual World
Tiny ‘Shoebox’ Apartment in London Costs $1,200 Per Month
Robert Rector: How the War on Poverty Was Lost
San Diego settles woman's excess force lawsuit for $350,000
Meet 'Bitcoin Jesus,' a virtual currency millionaire
UK government pays Libyan dissident’s family £2.2 million over MI6-aided rendition
China Market Rout Spreads From Stocks to Price of Pig Food
Codename 'Apalachee': How America Spies on Europe and the UN
Obama’s crackdown views leaks as aiding enemies of U.S.
Zurich children's hospital halts circumcisions
Amazon's billion-dollar tax shield
Michael Hastings Crash Investigation Heats Up; Police and Fire Told Not To Comment
$3.4M settlement in deadly 2011 SWAT raid near Tucson
Cops enforce wrong speed limit, will prosecute tickets anyway