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9.13: Current Issues in Corrections- War on Drugs and Gangs

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    Transcarceration

    Get Tough Policies

    [1] This policy increased sentence lengths for 40 felonies, which included life imprisonment. Perhaps the largest 3 strikes policy was in 1994, in California, with Proposition 184, commonly called the Three Strikes and You’re Out policy. It mandated a minimum of 25 years of prison for individuals committing 3 felonies. What made this policy more pervasive than others was the way in which it could be applied. If a person had two previous strikes for violent, or serious felonies (not necessarily violent), any new felony was life imprisonment, with a minimum of 25 years. For a more detailed view of this policy, see https://lao.ca.gov/2005/3_strikes/3_strikes_102005.htm

    https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/research-and-publications/research-publications/2017/20171025_Drug-Mand-Min.pdf

    [2]

    Federal Drug Inmates

    Screen-Shot-2019-02-24-at-8.20.24-AM.png
    Federal Drug Inmates
    1. Wright, P. (1995). Three strikes racks ‘em up. Journal of Prisoners on Prisons, 6(2), 3-6. https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=162918↵
    2. Meierhoefer, B. (1992). The general effect of mandatory minimum prison terms: A longitudinal study of federal sentences imposed. Federal Judicial Center. www.fjc.gov/sites/default/files/2012/GenEffMM.pdf↵

    This page titled 9.13: Current Issues in Corrections- War on Drugs and Gangs was last modified on Tue, 20 Jan 2026 01:51:16 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Alison S. Burke, David Carter, Brian Fedorek, Tiffany Morey, Lore Rutz-Burri, and Shanell Sanchez (OpenOregon) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.