For many Washington 3-Strikers, their punishment does not fit their crimes. The 3-Strikes sentences for all the individuals featured below rest on at least one conviction that is classified in the lowest quarter of criminal seriousness under Washington State law. Some have no convictions above that level. More than a third of 3-Strikers have no convictions classified as a Serious Violent Offense under state law.

Their punishment does not protect public safety. Almost all of these 3-Strikers were caught up in addiction at the time of their crimes. Evidence shows that treatment is more effective at reducing crime than long-term incarceration. None of these 3-Strikers has committed a heinous crime. Evidence shows that lengthy sentences for lower-seriousness crimes wastes money and leads to more crime because it diverts large amounts of scarce public safety money into housing older people who are unlikely to commit more crimes and very expensive to care for due to age-related health care costs.

Their punishment was harsher because they were poor. Most of these individiduals were poor and defended by underpaid public defenders. In 2005, Washington ranked 50th in the percentage of state contributions to trial costs for poor people. (State chief justice urges funds for public defense. Ken Armstrong, Seattle Times staff reporter, Seattle Times, 1/19/05.)

Improvements have been made in Washington's system of defense for the poor. But in 2010, Washington's Office of Public Defense reported that the state's public defense system, "overall is still not at the appropriate level of quality."(Status Report on Public Defense, Washington State Office of Public Defense, 1/2010.)

They were more likely to be punished with a Life sentence if they were Black. This law creates what is probably the most extreme racial disparity in Washington's criminal justice system. Less than 4% of our state's population is black. About 20% of our state prison population is Black. 40% of our 3-Strikes population is Black. In January 2010, a federal court decision found that the racial inequity in Washington's criminal justice system cannot be explained in race neutral ways.

In a story he wrote for Washblog, Dean recounts that all his crimes were related to alcohol addiction and states that he believes that prison saved him from a death on the streets and gave him time to mature. He is now able to live a crime-free life, he writes, and contribute to society.

"His story tells of a long series of things that should never have happened. Addicted to heroin at the age of 15, the streets of Seattle were his home; bikers, junkies, prostitutes were his family. With the lack of any parental love and guidance and no strong family support whatsoever, his entire life was focused on the crime necessary to maintain his very bad habit. His involvement in narcotics was the direct and proximate cause of his criminal activities which of course culminated in this "never-ending" punishment for him...

Back in March, 2000, a young woman named Cherease Cross was convicted of her third offense. She was the third woman to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole under Washington's 3-Strikes law. She did not deserve to receive a sentence of life in prison. Mental illness and drug addiction had plagued Cherease's young life. She was a single-mom, a crack addict and a sexual abuse victim. She had committed three low-level second degree robberies to support an expensive drug habit.

As described in a Washington Supreme Court decision, the first degree arson charge that serves as the foundation of Mr. McDonald's life sentence "was based upon the defendant setting fire to the welcome mat outside a motel room, which destroyed the mat and discolored the door before being extinguished."

Hello, my name is David Conyers and I am a current 3 Striker residing at the Monroe Correctional Complex. Back in 1994, 13 years ago, I was the youngest person in the state of Washington, a tender 21 years old, to be sentenced to life under 3 Strikes - charged and convicted of four counts of second degree robbery. None of my prior convictions, nor my current offenses involved a weapon whatsoever, nor was anyone hurt or killed. I was a kid back then with no guidance or direction, just being reckless and foolish. I very much regret the things I did wrong to my victims, because they didn't deserve to be put in fear or have anything taken from them. I've grown up a lot and I now see life on a different perspective. However, I firmly believe that I shouldn't be spending the rest of my life in prison for a crime such as Robbery 2. Now I believe that any person, male or female, should be held accountable if he or she commits a crime. However, you cannot compare or place a second degree robbery with murder, rape, or child molestation.

I have all but given up on faith and hope that the reality of this unbearably harsh law will come to light in the public's eye and will bring about positive changes in the way that it is applied and that it truly be reserved for the worst of the worst. This is not to say that I don't deserve to be punished but I know that I'M NOT THE WORST OF THE WORST. I am not a disposable human being. Unfortunately for me, my addictions did not allow me to see as far as and/or beyond the consequences of my actions, but I still feel that the time should fit the crime... It's never been in my heart to physically harm another human being, although I cannot deny the psychological trauma that I've caused to my victims by my actions. I've never murdered, raped, or molested another human being, but reflections upon my past disturb my soul. I believe that this is so because I have truly matured during my years of incarceration. If nothing else, I can surely say that 3-Strikes has shown me where and how I don't want to spend the remainder of my natural life: in a cage with no real human contact that family and friends truly share. I often wonder what my life may have been like had I been granted an opportunity to participate in a drug treatment program? There are no answers, just speculation.

Photo by Inye Wokoma
Courtesy ColorsNW Magazine

Shadeed's third strike was an attempted wallet grab from a high school teacher who told the Seattle Times: "It just blows me away that the people in this state are willing to house this guy in prison for the next 50 years yet are so reluctant to pay a fraction of what it will cost to reduce class sizes and do other things better education. We aren’t willing to do enough for kids like this when they are young and when we have a chance to make a difference, but we're willing to throw them away in prison for 10 times the cost." Shadeed was recommended for clemency by a unanimous vote of Washington's Clemency and Pardon's Board in December, 2009. As of October, 2010, Washington's Governor has not decided whether to grant clemency.

Stevan speaks in the film on Washington's 3-Strikes law that can be seen at justiceisnogame.org.

Vance speaks in the film on Washington's 3-Strikes law that can be seen at justiceisnogame.org.