1,000 3-Strike Prisoners Have Sentences Cut Short
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Supporters of a California ballot measure that softened the nation's toughest three-strikes law say some 1,000 prisoners have had their life terms significantly reduced and have been released from prison.
A new report released by supporters of Prop 36 show that about 20, or 2 percent, of those released were charged with new crimes once released.
That compares with a 16 percent recidivism rate for all California inmates released from prison, according to the report by Stanford's Three Strikes Project and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
It also found that 2,000 prisoners sentenced to life under the state's three-strikes law and eligible for release are still languishing in prison, awaiting action on their petition for early release.
Furthermore, the supporters bemoaned the lack of post-release programs available to the three-strike prisoners.
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