To lower crime rate, build more colleges
Oct 21, 1999
'To lower crime rate, build more colleges'
In regard to the Sept 27 letter by Bob Melton 'Three strikes long overdue'
(which was written in support of previous pro-three-striker letter of Sept 14
'State's three-strikes law works'), there seems to be some confusion as to
whether or not the crime rate is dropping.
Statistics show that crime
began to drop in 1991, three years before the three-strikes law. Also, crime
has dropped in San Francisco County-a county in which nonviolent and
non-serious offenders are not prosecuted under the three strikes law-by 30.1
percent since implementation of the three strikes law. While in Kern County,
which vigorously prosecutes all possible three-strikes cases, crime has dropped
21.1 percent in the same period of time. According to RAND, crime would drop
another three to four times as much if we spent money on college graduation
incentives for high-risk youths, rather than prison. Since 1984 California has
built one college or university and 21 prisons. Three strikes has little to do
with the drop in crime and a lot to do with something else.
Tye
Smith
Vista
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Date last modified: 3/11/99.