Justice Works! for 3 Strikes Reform
This is a time that calls out to us to join together to remedy a deep injustice. Washington was the first state in the nation to pass a 3-Strikes law. Voters approved I-593 in 1993 on the basis of this description in the voter's pamphlet: "By aiming at 3-time violent offenders, (593) targets the `worst of the worst' criminals."
Few people would consider Robbery 2, which involves no injuries or weapons, or Assault 2, often referred to as a barroom brawl, as worst-of-the-worst-crimes. Yet, these two Class B felonies associated with poverty and addiction are the most common triggers for life imprisonment under 3 Strikes. These crimes are much more common under 3 Strikes than the high-violence crimes that most voters believed they were protecting the public from. For years, Washington legislators have introduced bills to reform 3 Strikes. All efforts have so far failed. Justice Works!, in collaboration with friends and family members of people serving under this law, is working to bring together many individual voices so that we can be loud enough to be heard during the 2009 legislative session and beyond.
This work is not only for the people who are unjustly imprisoned and their families and loved ones: 3-Strikes reform is also a key task in the larger civil and human rights movement.
For the most up-to-date information on the 3 Strikes Campaign, go to: http://justiceisnogame.org/ or the Justice Works! Facebook page.
Additional Resources:
Did you Know???
Washington was the first state in the nation to pass a 3-Strikes law.
Voters approved I-593 in 1993 on the basis of this description in the voter's pamphlet: "By aiming at 3-time violent offenders, (593) targets the ‘worst of the worst' criminals."
The list of strike-able crimes includes crimes involving no violence, no weapons and no injuries such as Robbery 2. An example of a Robbery 2 is grabbing a wallet from someone. If you do this 3 times, you get the same sentence as the Green River killer who killed almost 50 women.
Assault 2, often referred to as a barroom brawl, is also a strike-able offense.
The National Rifle Association was a major funder of the initiative. This was at the time when the media was focusing on violent gun
related crime.
Our population is 3.5% black in Washington State but 40% of the 3-Strikes population is black.
It costs one MILLION dollars to incarcerate each 3-Striker, including those only convicted on non-violent crimes.
3 Strikes Forms & Flyers
Use the below to access 3-Strikes Reform Campaign forms and flyers for use in your area
Check out our Volunteer Opportunities page for opportunties to help support our campaign