Pubdate: Wed, 13 Oct 1999
Source: Bakersfield Californian (CA)
Copyright: 1999, The Bakersfield Californian.
Contact:  PO Box 440, Bakersfield, CA 93302-0440
Website: http://www.bakersfield.com/
Author: Linda Criss
Related: http://www.mapinc.org/clipping/v99/n1076/a02.html

LAW UNFAIRLY ENFORCED

When will Kern and other California counties realize the injustices of the
Three Strikes law, as it is applied today?

When will the people of California realize the power we have given our
judicial system is being terribly abused? Our judges and prosecutors are
taking a free hand in choosing who will be sentenced under the Three Strikes
law.

The Three Strikes law was and is written for the violent offender.

Why do we allow the murderer, the child molester or the rapist back out into
our society after a short sentence? Yet we will take a minor offender out of
our society for a term of 25 to life for petty theft or for a minor drug
offense.

Why do we choose to build more prisons? Why do we choose to lock more people
away and throw away the key?

Why do we not choose to invest in rehabilitation programs? Let's think about
saving the human life. Let's think about the benefit of rehabilitation.

Let's think about job training and drug counseling to turn the minor
offender into self-reliable, productive providers for themselves and their
families. With rehabilitation, there would be no need to commit a crime.

Our prisons have no structure for rehabilitation.

We, the people, have the power and the right to make our system work as it
should and to have the laws applied as written.

Three Strikes for the violent offender.

Rehabilitation for the non-violent offender!

Linda Criss, Bakersfield

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