Three strikes reform bill

I am writing you in regards to the new "Three Strikes Reform Bill" (AB-50). This bill is being introduced by Assemblyman Mark Leno, who is very sincere about amending the current Three Strikes Law. But the language in AB-50 was written by a handful of District Attorneys.

Their proposal calls for re-sentencing all non-violent and non-serious three strikes offenders, except those who have prior convictions for murder, kidnap, rape, child molestation, and prior weapon charges. The problem with this proposal is that the majority of non-violent third strike inmates have prior weapon charges due to prior robbery convictions. Some convictions that occurred back when they were just juveniles. In my case I gave a girlfriend a ride to a computer store, she stole a laptop computer and ran to my car. The store clerk chased her to the car, seen a knife laying on my seat, and ran away. I was later arrested and charged with 2nd degree robbery, and being in possession of a weapon.

I never robbed the store or the clerk, but was pressured into taking a plea agreement because of my prior convictions. And now I am serving 25 years to life for a traffic violation (evading arrest). And that same robbery and weapons charge is being used to justify my sentence. I've never murdered, raped, kidnapped, molested, or robbed anyone, but under this new reform bill I will still be serving a life sentence based on the weapons clause in AB-50.

The problem with AB-50 is that there is no individual, judicial process to make any distinction based on factors such as how long ago a person committed the prior act, how serious it really was, or weather the person convicted of the prior offense was the person who actually committed the crime. We need your help in addressing these issues. Please fax a letter to Assembly member Mark Leno at 916-319-2113 or call toll free 888-642-0252 and ask him to amend AB-50, otherwise there is no recourse for non-violent offenders like myself serving a life sentence based on prior weapon charges, coerced plea agreements, and crimes we did not commit.

- a California prisoner, July 2005