Letter to Judge Dear Judge

Letter to Judge

Dear Judge X,

The recent case State v. Jones brings to our attention the issue of chronic crime and whether or not "three strikes" laws are effective in the long run. All citizens are aware of the need for strident law enforcement measures and we laud our officers for policing their communities well. However, as Mr. Jones' life is now squarely in your hands, I ask you to examine scholastic material recently compiled that illustrates the potentially negative consequences of "three strikes" laws on the local community as well as on individuals and their families.

Crime affects more than the victim and perpetrator; crime leaves a wake of devastating effects that include the breakdown of community social structures. Often, these social structures are essential in preventing crime in the first place (Crutchfield 2004; Lynch & Sabol 2004; Piehl 2004). Three strikes laws and other measures designed to "get tough on crime" have in many cases reduced crime rate; they have subsequently increased the number of incarcerations in local communities. The costs of incarceration may extend far beyond prisoner and prison facility maintenance. When we begin to reap the seeds we sow now by placing more persons in prison, we may discover other unforeseen costs including increases in social service expenditures by families and communities and potential increases in crime rates down the road (Crutchfield 2004).