Law providing more severe penalties for repeat offenders

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three-strikes law</span>

Three-strikes law

<p>In the <a href="/en/United_States" title="United States" class="wl">United States</a>, <b>habitual offender laws</b><span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-1"><a href="#cite_note-1" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[1]</span></a></span> (commonly referred to as <b>three-strikes laws</b>) have been implemented since at least 1952,<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-Texas_1952_2-0"><a href="#cite_note-Texas_1952-2" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 2;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[2]</span></a></span> and are part of the <a href="/en/United_States_Justice_Department" title="United States Justice Department" class="mw-redirect wl">United States Justice Department</a>'s Anti-Violence Strategy.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-3"><a href="#cite_note-3" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 3;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[3]</span></a></span><span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-4"><a href="#cite_note-4" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 4;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[4]</span></a></span> These <a href="/en/Law" title="Law" class="wl">laws</a> require a person who is convicted of an offense and who has one or two other previous serious convictions to serve a mandatory <a href="/en/Life_sentence" title="Life sentence" class="mw-redirect wl">life sentence</a> in <a href="/en/Prison" title="Prison" class="wl">prison</a>, with or without parole depending on the jurisdiction.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-5"><a href="#cite_note-5" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 5;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[5]</span></a></span><span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-6"><a href="#cite_note-6" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 6;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[6]</span></a></span> The purpose of the laws is to drastically increase the <a href="/en/Punishment" title="Punishment" class="wl">punishment</a> of those who continue to commit offenses after being convicted of one or two serious <a href="/en/Crime" title="Crime" class="wl">crimes</a>.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-sandiegocounty.gov_7-0"><a href="#cite_note-sandiegocounty.gov-7" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 7;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[7]</span></a></span></p>

<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">Law providing more severe penalties for repeat offenders</div>
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Criminal trials and convictions</td></tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading notheme" style="background:#aaddff; color:#000;">
Rights of the accused</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding-top:0.25em;">
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<ul><li><a href="/en/Right_to_a_fair_trial" title="Right to a fair trial" class="wl">Fair trial</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Pre-trial" title="Pre-trial" class="mw-redirect wl">Pre-trial</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Speedy_trial" title="Speedy trial" class="wl">Speedy trial</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Jury_trial" title="Jury trial" class="wl">Jury trial</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Right_to_counsel" title="Right to counsel" class="wl">Counsel</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Presumption_of_innocence" title="Presumption of innocence" class="wl">Presumption of innocence</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Exclusionary_rule" title="Exclusionary rule" class="wl">Exclusionary rule</a><sup><small>1</small></sup></li>
<li><a href="/en/Self-incrimination" title="Self-incrimination" class="wl">Self-incrimination</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Double_jeopardy" title="Double jeopardy" class="wl">Double jeopardy</a><sup><small>2</small></sup></li>
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<li><a href="/en/Appeal" title="Appeal" class="wl">Appeal</a></li></ul>
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<li><a href="/en/Acquittal" title="Acquittal" class="wl">Acquittal</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Not_proven" title="Not proven" class="wl">Not proven</a><sup><small>3</small></sup></li>
<li><a href="/en/Directed_verdict" title="Directed verdict" class="mw-redirect wl">Directed verdict</a></li></ul>
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<a href="/en/Sentence_(law)" title="Sentence (law)" class="wl">Sentencing</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding-top:0.25em;">
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<ul><li><a href="/en/Mandatory_sentencing" title="Mandatory sentencing" class="wl">Mandatory</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Suspended_sentence" title="Suspended sentence" class="wl">Suspended</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Custodial_sentence" title="Custodial sentence" class="wl">Custodial</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Periodic_detention" title="Periodic detention" class="wl">Periodic</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Discharge_(sentence)" title="Discharge (sentence)" class="wl">Discharge</a></li>
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<ul><li><a href="/en/Totality_principle" title="Totality principle" class="wl">Totality</a><sup><small>5,<span>&nbsp;</span>6</small></sup></li>
<li><a href="/en/Dangerous_offender" title="Dangerous offender" class="wl">Dangerous offender</a><sup><small>4,<span>&nbsp;</span>5</small></sup></li></ul>
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<ul><li><a href="/en/Cruel_and_unusual_punishment" title="Cruel and unusual punishment" class="wl">Cruel and unusual punishment</a></li></ul>
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<ul><li><a href="/en/Imprisonment" title="Imprisonment" class="wl">Imprisonment</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Life_imprisonment" title="Life imprisonment" class="wl">Life imprisonment</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Indefinite_imprisonment" title="Indefinite imprisonment" class="wl">Indefinite imprisonment</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Three-strikes_law" title="Three-strikes law" class="wl">Three-strikes law</a></li></ul>
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Post-sentencing</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding-top:0.25em;">
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<ul><li><a href="/en/Parole" title="Parole" class="wl">Parole</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Probation" title="Probation" class="wl">Probation</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Life_imprisonment_in_England_and_Wales" title="Life imprisonment in England and Wales" class="wl">Tariff</a><span>&nbsp;</span><sup><small>6</small></sup></li>
<li><a href="/en/Life_imprisonment_in_England_and_Wales" title="Life imprisonment in England and Wales" class="wl">Life licence</a><sup><small>6</small></sup></li>
<li><a href="/en/Criminal_justice" title="Criminal justice" class="wl">Criminal justice</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Exoneration" title="Exoneration" class="wl">Exoneration</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Habitual_offender" title="Habitual offender" class="wl">Habitual offender</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Miscarriage_of_justice" title="Miscarriage of justice" class="wl">Miscarriage of justice</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Pardon" title="Pardon" class="wl">Pardon</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Recidivism" title="Recidivism" class="wl">Recidivism</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Rehabilitation_(penology)" title="Rehabilitation (penology)" class="wl">Rehabilitation</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Restorative_justice" title="Restorative justice" class="wl">Restorative justice</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Sex_offender_registry" title="Sex offender registry" class="wl">Sex offender registry</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Sexually_violent_predator_laws" title="Sexually violent predator laws" class="wl">Sexually violent predator laws</a><sup><small>1</small></sup></li></ul>
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Related areas of law</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding-top:0.25em;">
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<ul><li><a href="/en/Civil_procedure" title="Civil procedure" class="wl">Civil procedure</a></li>
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<li><a href="/en/Evidence_(law)" title="Evidence (law)" class="wl">Evidence</a></li></ul>
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Portals</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding-top:0.25em;;padding-bottom:0.75em;">
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<ul><li><span class="noviewer"><a href="/en/File:Balance,_by_David.svg" class="mw-file-description image wl"><img loading="lazy"alt="icon" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Balance%2C_by_David.svg/30px-Balance%2C_by_David.svg.png" decoding="async" data-file-width="606" data-file-height="558" data-file-type="drawing" height="28" width="30" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Balance%2C_by_David.svg/46px-Balance%2C_by_David.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Balance%2C_by_David.svg/61px-Balance%2C_by_David.svg.png 2x"></a></span><span>&nbsp;</span><a href="/en/Portal:Law" title="Portal:Law" class="wl">Law<span> </span>portal</a></li></ul>
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<div class="hlist ">
<ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>1</small></sup><span>&nbsp;</span><a href="/en/Courts_of_the_United_States" title="Courts of the United States" class="mw-redirect wl">US courts</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>2</small></sup><span>&nbsp;</span>Not in <a href="/en/Courts_of_England_and_Wales" title="Courts of England and Wales" class="wl">English/Welsh courts</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>3</small></sup><span>&nbsp;</span><a href="/en/Courts_of_Scotland" title="Courts of Scotland" class="wl">Scottish courts</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>4</small></sup><span>&nbsp;</span>English/Welsh courts</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>5</small></sup><span>&nbsp;</span><a href="/en/Courts_of_Canada" title="Courts of Canada" class="mw-redirect wl">Canadian courts</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>6</small></sup><span>&nbsp;</span><a href="/en/Courts_of_the_United_Kingdom" title="Courts of the United Kingdom" class="mw-redirect wl">UK courts</a></span></li></ul>
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<p>Twenty-eight <a href="/en/U.S._state" title="U.S. state" class="wl">states</a> have some form of a "three-strikes" law. A person accused under such laws is referred to in a few states (notably <a href="/en/Connecticut" title="Connecticut" class="wl">Connecticut</a> and <a href="/en/Kansas" title="Kansas" class="wl">Kansas</a>) as a "<b>persistent offender</b>", while <a href="/en/Missouri" title="Missouri" class="wl">Missouri</a> uses the unique term "<b>prior and persistent offender</b>". In most jurisdictions, only crimes at the felony level qualify as serious offenses. And it may turn on which felonies are defined as being serious, which may vary depending on the jurisdiction, in particular, whether a subject felony must include violence or not.</p>

<p>The three-strikes law significantly increases the prison sentences of persons convicted of a felony who have been previously convicted of two or more violent crimes or serious felonies, and limits the ability of these offenders to receive a punishment other than a life sentence.</p>

<p>The expression "Three strikes and you are out" is derived from <a href="/en/Baseball" title="Baseball" class="wl">baseball</a>, where a <a href="/en/Batting_(baseball)" title="Batting (baseball)" class="wl">batter</a> against whom three strikes are recorded <a href="/en/Strikeout" title="Strikeout" class="wl">strikes out</a>.</p>



In the United States, habitual offender laws Twenty-eight states have some form of a "three-strikes" law. A person accused under such laws is referred to in a few states as a "persistent offender", while Missouri uses the unique term "prior and persistent offender". In most jurisdictions, only crimes at the felony level qualify as serious offenses. And it may turn on which felonies are defined as being serious, which may vary depending on the jurisdiction, in particular, whether a subject felony must include violence or not. The three-strikes law significantly increases the prison sentences of persons convicted of a felony who have been previously convicted of two or more violent crimes or serious felonies, and limits the ability of these offenders to receive a punishment other than a life sentence. 