Just hope that your neighborhood is not the next victim of the war on drugs. Wanting to feel safe again, I along with the majority of Californians supported the 3-strikes law that would send professional criminal predators to prison for at least 25 years. On the surface, it seems to be an overwhelming success. Crime in the last five years since 3-strikes was passed, is down. How much the reduction in crime is attributable to 3-strikes can be debated.
Most people support putting away violent criminals for as long as possible.
Unfortunately, that is not all the 3-strikes law is doing. A third strike drug offender can serve three times as long in prison as a one-time murderer. Definite problems have arisen from the implementation of 3-strikes. Faced with the possibility of spending the best years of their lives in prison, there is the threat that normally non-violent criminals will murder potential witnesses and law enforcement personnel to stay out of jail. When they are caught, they will not plea-bargain because the law does not allow leniency.