Steven Schiff: “Of all the different aspects of trying to solve the problem of crime, which is a complex problem in my judgment, the…”

“Of all the different aspects of trying to solve the problem of crime, which is a complex problem in my judgment, the single most identifiable problem is the repeat offender. That is the individual who has chosen to commit crimes as a career. That is why they are also called career criminals. These individuals, depending on the crime they have selected, may commit three, four, five offenses a day, but whatever it is, it is 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The career criminal, the repeat offender, is addressed in this bill under the provision three strikes and you are out. Three strikes and you are out is commonly discussed across the country. The problem is that in general it means three crimes, in this case, three violent crimes and mandatory life in prison. Nevertheless, that is a general idea. The idea of the specifics of three strikes and you are out can vary considerably from legislature to legislature to the Congress. For example, the legislature in the State of New Mexico where I am from just passed a three-stikes-and-you-are-out bill, but the definition of the crimes that would apply to become one of those strikes is so narrow that I doubt it will apply ever, ever to very many criminals. It is not effective in the least.”