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| Let’s
Fix Three Strikes...Vote
Yes on 66 |
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| Proposition
66
reforms California’s three strikes sentencing
law to require that a third strike – carrying
a mandatory 25-to-life sentence –be a violent
or serious felony. It also changes the list of
crimes counting as “strikes” to exclude some
nonviolent or nonserious crimes. Resentencing
would be an option for some third strikers only. |
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| Proposition
66
brings the three strikes law into line with what
voters originally intended. Ten years of
experience with the law have produced a series
of excessive sentences that have generated
widespread voter support for fixing three
strikes. |
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| Proposition
66
is an opportunity for voters who supported the
original three strikes law, but have found it to
be too extreme in it is implementation, to
refine it without losing the power to punish
repeat, violent offenders.
Proposition
66 will end a huge waste of precious taxpayer
dollars. |
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| Californians
intended the three strikes law to target
murderers, rapists and kidnappers, not the kinds
of nonviolent, nonserious offenders who have
wound up as the law’s main targets.
According to the California Department of
Corrections, nearly 65% of those serving second
and third strike sentences were convicted of
nonviolent, petty offenses such as simple drug
possession or shoplifting. |
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| California
is the only state with a three strikes law that
doesn’t require a third felony conviction be
violent or serious to trigger the harshest
sentence. The law has resulted in life sentences
for people who stole aspirin, spare tires, razor
blades and bicycles. |
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| Proposition
66
will restore three strikes to what voters
intended and proponents promised: |
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Keep
violent felons in prison for 25
years-to-life |
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Ensure
those convicted of nonviolent, petty
crimes are punished justly |
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Allow
a limited, one-time resentencing
hearing to ensure people convicted
of nonviolent, petty crimes are not
serving harsh three strikes
sentences intended for rapists,
murders and child molesters |
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Increase
sentences for child molesters |
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Save
California taxpayers a hundreds of
millions of dollars in prison costs
over the next several years |
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