Sociology & Criminology for a Changing World
Laws imposing life sentences after a third serious criminal conviction.
Emerging in the United States in the 1990s, “three strikes” laws mandate harsh penalties, often life imprisonment, for repeat offenders. While intended to deter recidivism, research shows limited effectiveness and disproportionate effects on marginalised populations. These laws illustrate how political discourse around “career criminals” fuels punitive expansion.
Deterrence theory, incapacitation, critical criminology
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