Cruel Justice: Three Strikes and the Politics of Crime in America's Golden State

by Joe Domanick

When the people of California overwhelmingly voted for the 1994 "three strikes" law, many had no idea what they were approving. The official ballot argument in favor of what Newsweek called "the toughest law in the nation" kept it "Three strikes keeps career criminals who rape women, molest children and commit murder behind bars where they belong." What few people realized, however, was that the sweeping nature of the law would put thousands of nonviolent men and women in prison for twenty-five years to life, for crimes as minor as shoplifting $2.69 worth of AA batteries, forging a check for $94.94, or attempting to buy a macadamia nut disguised as a $5 rock of cocaine. In his riveting, well-documented book, Joe Domanick reveals the drama of the shattered lives involved with the law. Focusing on personal stories, Cruel Justice expands to tell the larger tale of how the law came into existence; how it has played out; what political, social, and economic forces lie behind it; and how the politics of crime and fear work in America. Domanick demonstrates how laws passed in haste, without deliberation, and in reaction to public hysteria can have unforeseen consequences as tragic as those they were designed to thwart. Domanick draws powerful portraits of the two innocent young girls―Kimber Reynolds and Polly Klaas―whose murders were the catalyst for the three strikes law; of the men who killed them; of the fathers who sought their revenge; and especially of the many people serving lengthy prison terms who are victims of the three strikes law itself.

Genres: Nonfiction, Law

346 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Josh Fogelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book by Joe Domanick. Covers the history of the three strikes law in California. Written in 2004, so the later parts of the chapter are outdated. But the history is there and told in an interesting narrative style.

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98-99: uniform determinate sentencing act
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[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to show the manipulation of politics in California to pass the notorious three strikes law. An excellent case study of how public opinion is molded by the politics of fear and the high price we all pay as a result.

[Monica Ravizza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good background to California's 3 strikes law and the problems with it.

[Carolee · Rating 4 out of 5]

In case you didn't know why California's three strikes policy is a bad thing, this book explains why in simple language. It mixes facts with personal accounts to make for an intersting read