Does three-strikes law serve as a deterrent?

Re “Another swing at three strikes,”

editorial, Jan. 18

You state the rather tired fact that some third-strike offenses are relatively minor, such as petty theft. No one wants to send someone to prison for 25 years to life for that, right? But you failed to mention the other two strikes. You also did not mention the previous criminal records of the convicts.

As a private investigator who has worked on criminal defense cases for more than 20 years, I can tell you that virtually all of these convicts had numerous violent criminal violations, many for which they suffered small consequences.

As any cop knows, most criminals commit numerous crimes for which they are never caught.

Since the three-strikes law was enacted, crime rates have plummeted. I have interviewed hundreds of criminal defendants, and the thing they fear most, other than the death penalty, is three strikes. It is a massive deterrent, taking the worst and most prolific perpetrators off the streets.

MARTIN L. HENRIKS

Canoga Park

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As you state, the three-strikes law needs open discussion and revision. The decision, however, should be made by the Legislature. Our governor has learned that ignoring the Legislature is harmful and expensive to the state.

Hopefully, The Times and the people will cajole the Legislature to do its job.

GEORGE WOLKON

Pacific Palisades

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The decade-long experiment of the three-strikes law has been a failure. There has been no real efficacy to the deterrence argument held by its supporters, yet the cost to the taxpayers has been billions of wasted dollars to warehouse nonviolent offenders guilty only of poverty and addiction. This is truly a step forward toward reforming our criminal justice system.

Every voter should embrace this initiative and fear not the patently false and misleading information spread by the opponents of Proposition 66.

But until we eliminate the one-size-fits-all, mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines and return this discretion to well-qualified judges, the back door will be left open for overzealous prosecutors to pursue grossly disproportionate sentences and continue to erode public confidence in our criminal justice system in this state.

FRANCIS COURSER

Escondido, Calif.