Life Sentence Too Harsh for Shoplifter?
A recent story on the website ClarionLedger.com noted that a man from Washington County, Mississippi has recently had his life sentence upheld by the state Supreme Court. His crime? Shoplifting.
That's right, thanks to habitual offender laws in the state (informally known as "three strikes laws"), Mark Sumrell's decision to steal a leather coat has reportedly earned him a life sentence in jail. And he's not the only one who's received such a sentence.
Three strikes laws became popular in the United States in the early 1990s, according to sources. The concept underlying such laws is that those who commit felonies on a regular basis have a criminal nature, and are a threat to the general public.
In many states, giving a lengthened sentence to third-time offenders is mandatory, and some states require life sentences for third felony convictions. And, as is apparent in Mr. Sumrell's case, the offenses don't even have to be violent to earn the offender life behind bars.
If this policy sounds controversial to you, you're not alone. Just over half of the states in the Union employ three strikes laws. Eight states that currently have some form of the three strikes law on the books are trying to revise it or eliminate the legislation altogether, according to a report from Scoop.
Apparently, California, Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nevada and New York are all struggling with the problems such legislation presents. New Zealanders are reportedly debating three strikes legislation of their own, but critics insist that the problems encountered in the U.S. (including high costs to states and difficulty finding workers willing to oversee overcrowded facilities) should serve as a warning.
A recent article in the Hartford Courant cites some of the common arguments against mandatory life sentences for third time offenders, including the following:
- Some crimes considered felonies (like shoplifting) pose no real threat or danger to society.
- Insufficient efforts are currently being made to help convicts hold down legitimate jobs after serving jail sentences.
- Three strikes laws are the equivalent of "one-size-fits-all" justice: doesn't the existence of the court system suggest that this method wouldn't work?
- Prisons in many states are already seriously overcrowded, with no relief in sight.
In 2007, Connecticut's governor announced plans to release more than a thousand nonviolent offenders from prison in an effort to make room for more violent criminals. Measures like this are in direct opposition to the mandatory life sentence laws many states enforce.
In states like Mississippi, where there is no requirement that the three offenses be violent, convicts like Mr. Sumrell can face serious jail time simply for having a history of criminal activity.