Recently there was a story in the news media about a 65-year old inmate by the name of Junior Allen who was released from a North Carolina prison after serving 35 years for stealing a black and white television set. This story attracted widespread attention mainly because, while other inmates convicted of murder, rape and child molestations were being released, Junior Allen remained in prison for 35 years.
But hey, isn't this the same form of extreme punishment being practiced here in California under the Three Strikes Law. There are well over 4000 men and women sitting in California prisons with life sentences for stealing aspirin, video tapes, batteries, golf clubs, Levi's., joy riding, receiving stolen property, and minor drug possession, all under the guise that these are dangerous criminals. Our Governor, in the name of business as usual, went on TV last November, and deceived the public into voting "no" on proposition 66, which would have brought about needed reforms to an unjust/unfair law, not to mention the sky rocketing cost of warehousing non-violent offenders in state prisons.
But the Governor said 26,000 murderers, rapists and child molesters would be released under prop 66, when in fact there are only about 4000 non-violent men and women serving life sentences under this law. Most are drug and alcohol abusers who have received no treatment, and have repeatedly been sent back to prison for drug and alcohol related offenses. Most have never committed a violent crime, and were coerced an dpressured into pleading guilty to most of their prior offenses, some were crimes they did not commit. And the few who have committed prior violent offenses have already paid their debt to society many years ago, and are now serving life sentences for crimes that normally merit a 6 month county jail sentence.
So yes, what has happened in North Carolina with 65 year old Junior Allen is happening right here in California, but on a much larger scale. Everyone else is being paroled and released, but the 4000 non-violent offenders under California's Three Strikes Law will remain in prison until they have served at least 25 years of a life sentence.
Californians have much more in common with North Carolina than they realize, and should work towards reforming this law. Otherwise there will be 4000 more 65 year olds like Junior Allen in the next 25 years.
- a California prisoner, July 2005