One of the most controversial laws in efforts to reduce crime have been the "three strikes" laws that have been enacted. This law, already present in twenty-seven states, provides that those guilty of three violent crimes will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The law is based on the idea that most crimes are committed by about 6% of the hardest criminals and that crime can be eliminated by taking these criminals off the streets. Unfortunately, the law does not take into account its own shortcomings and how it is implemented. One of the problems with the law is its principle of removing judicial discretion. This severely hampers the judge's ability to tailor the punishment to the crime. While some criminals deserve life in prison, it is unfair to create a standard that forces judges to sentence offenders to life in prison for relatively minor crimes. The possibility of reform is completely eliminated. Mimi Silbert, president of the Delancey Street Foundation, a halfway house for inmates, tells the story of Albert who was sent to San Quentin prison at age 19; by then he had committed 27 armed robberies. With three strikes and you're out he'd still be in prison. Released at age 36, he is a caring father, works as a plumber and substitute teacher and has led a life free of drugs and crime. A three strikes law would deny this possibility to Albert and many others like him. Criminals are capable of reform, but this law would deny them that opportunity. (Silbert) The assumption that all thrice convicted criminals are incorrigible criminals is an oversimplification of a more complex problem. Three-strikes is based on the assumption that a few extreme cases are representative of all criminals. Mimi Silbert aims... middle of the paper... to improve their public image, and since crime is one of the most important issues in the American consciousness, this problem is one they face regularly. Solutions to this problem will be easier when politicians decide to find the right ways to deter crime and not just try to hide criminals. .philly.com/1994-02-04/news/25860646_1_prison-terms-criminals-drug-salesThe High Cost of Emptying Prisons, Robert Gangi, http://www.facts1.net/article.php?id=1304Add value to Justice Outcome Evaluations, Edwain Zedlewski, https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/230402.pdf Where the Three Strikes Plan Takes Us in 20 Years, Robert Gangi, New York Times, http:// www.nytimes.com /1994/02/07/opinion/l-dove-il-plan-dei-three-strikes-takes-us-in-20-anni-107212.html