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Citizens
Against Violent Crime
amending California's Three-Strikes Law
Citizens Against Violent Crime, a California Political Action Committee
with new offices in Santa Ana, is dedicated to amending California's
Three-Strikes Law, so that it only applies to violent and serious
crimes. They believe minor offenders who steal a loaf of bread or
a bottle of shampoo should not be given 25 to life sentences.
The group is having an Open House on Saturday, September 20th, and
you're invited.
The Chairman of Citizens Against Violent Crime is Joe Klaas, the
grandfather of Polly Klass, the young girl who was snatched from
her bedroom in 1993 and murdered by a man who should have been behind
bars. In response, his family and Californians as a whole rose up
and passed the original Three Strikes Law.
"Some time after," Joe says, "I got the chance to
sit down and read the Three-Strikes Law. The most striking things
were the clauses referring to serious crime and any felony for the
second and third offenses. After further investigation of the meaning
of those clauses, I discovered that this Three-Strikes Law as written
would be applied to nonviolent petty crimes. In response, my family
withdrew our support."
Now he supports proposed changes in the law.
Last year, the Attorney General of California prepared the following
title and summary of the chief purpose and points of the proposed
measure:
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“THREE
STRIKES” LAW
LIMITATION TO VIOLENT AND SERIOUS FELONIES
INITIATIVE
STATUTE Amends “Three Strikes” law to require mandatory increased
sentences only when current conviction is for specified violent
and/or serious felony such as rape, robbery or murder. Provides
that only prior convictions for specified violent and/or serious
felonies qualify for second and third “strike” sentence increases.
Requires re-sentencing within 180 days of persons with sentences
increased pursuant to “Three Strikes” law if offenses for
which they were sentenced or prior convictions used to increase
sentences no longer qualify under this measure as violent
and/or serious felonies. Summary of estimate by Legislative
Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state
and local governments.
This measure would result in unknown, but significant net
savings for the state. The state could face increased costs
of several tens of millions of dollars for court-related activities
and parole supervision, which could be offset by savings for
the state ranging from several tens of millions of dollars
to several hundreds of millions of dollars due to lower prison
operating costs. The state might also be able to defer several
hundreds of millions of dollars in capital outlay costs associated
with delayed construction of additional prison beds. Possible
increased initial costs to counties of as much as several
tens of millions of dollars for jail-related costs which could
be more than offset by future ongoing savings from fewer new
cases challenging sentences issued under the Three Strikes
law.
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According to the Citizens Against Violent Crime, changes in the
Three Strikes Act will:
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Return
the Three-Strikes law to what the voters originally intended
- a law to keep violent criminals in prison, by amending the
law to require mandatory increased sentences only when convictions
are for a violent felony such as rape, robbery or murder. |
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Preserve
the original intent of the three-strikes law so that violent,
dangerous criminals will continue to be punished harshly, with
mandatory sentences of double-time for a second violent felony
and 25 years-to-life for a third violent felony. |
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Conform
California's Three-Strikes law with those that are working well
in 26 other states. Right now, California's law is the only
one that applies to non-violent crimes. |
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Allow
prisoners now serving Three-Strikes sentences to apply for and
receive a re-sentencing hearing and as many as 35,000 could
qualify for one because their offense would no longer count
as a strike. |
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Save
the state as much as 700 million dollars a year in prison operating
costs, and more than a billion dollars for construction of new
prisons. |
Here's
your invitation to attend the Citizens Against Violent Crime event
on Saturday, September 20th, in Santa Ana.
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OPEN
HOUSE
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SATURDAY
September 20th 1:00 PM - 9:00 PM
We will have a light refreshments and special guests.
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CAVC
STATE OFFICE
1625 E. 17st, Suite 105
Santa Ana, Ca 92705
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Our in office / Art Gallery will be open,
and prints will be available for reasonable donations
There will be a 50/50 Drawing, winner need not be present
Please call the office, voice mail or visit our website
for updates on special guests for the day
Ph 714 / 547-9847
Voice Mail 714 / 780-8901, 1 / 866-3strikes
email - Jamessilverfox@aol.com
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Dear Special Friend,
May I introduce Citizens Against Violent Crime, if you don't know
us already? We are a passionate group of people who support a sensible
and humane policy change to revise the "Three-Strikes Law" to apply
to Violent and Serious Crimes Only.
Remember our outrage in 1993 when Polly Klaas was kidnapped and
murdered by a repeat violent criminal? In response, California Voters
passed 3-Strikes for violent crimes. But now we discover this law
has resulted in life sentences for thousands of NON-violent offenders
at overwhelming costs to families, personal freedom and an excessive
state prison budget.
In 1999 our Chairman and grandfather of Polly, Joe Klaas, along
with several others formed (CAVC) Citizens Against Violent Crime
with the goal of amending the current 3-Strikes law to make it apply
exclusively to violent crimes.
We must win this struggle. Families unfairly affected by this law
count on our success. Taxpayers who do not want to spend nearly
a billion dollars per year to keep NON- Violent offenders in prison
count on us. The entire world is watching, because California is
the world's only place where people convicted of minor NON-violent
offenses are locked up for life. Yes, LIFE!
On August 18th this year, we opened an office at 1625 E. 17th St.
in Santa Ana, California to press on with our work to restore balance
to the Three-Strikes law. Please feel free to call us at 714 / 547-9842
from 11am-7pm Monday -Thursday, and 11am-3pm Friday.
We will have an open house on Saturday September 20th 1pm to 9pm.
You will get a chance to meet several of our board members along
with some special guests. If you are in the area please stop by.
Call us at the office or e-mail me directly at cavcjim@sbcglobal.net
for directions.
Jim Benson
Vice Chairman Citizens Against Violent Crime
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For more information visit the CAVC website at
http://www.amend3strikes.com
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