Three Strikes LawRecidivism is a tendency to fall back into an old pattern of behavior or a tendency to return to criminal behavior. Many studies have been conducted on criminals who start with minor offenses (misdemeanors) and then repeat the same crimes or progress to serious offenses (felonies). Fear of repeat offenders and increased recidivism have prompted federal and state governments to seek tougher ways to protect citizen safety. Mike Reynolds, a photographer whose daughter, Kimber, was murdered in 1992 during a purse theft, introduced the three-strikes law in 1993. State lawmakers considered and rejected the law because They felt that the measures were harsh and costly. However, the three strikes law gained national attention following a second incident, the 1993 kidnapping of Polly Klaas from her Petaluma home. Polly was kidnapped and murdered by Richard Allen Davis who was on parole during this time. Because of this second incident, in January 1994, during President Clinton's State of the Union address, he called for the enactment of a federal three strikes law. In March 1994, California passed the Three Strikes bill. “Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy criticized the policies surrounding the enactment of California's famous repeat sentencing law, calling it 'sick'” (Romano, 2010). Although the three-strikes law is California-centric, Washington was the first state to pass the law, while California followed with a broader version. According to Dickey and Hollenhorst (1999), "23 states and the federal government have adopted some form of 'three strikes law.' you’re out” aimed at targeting repeat violent offenders (p.1). The law varies by state, but the intent is... middle of paper ... offenders convicted in a second strike and 44 percent of those convicted in a third strike" (p. 10). , the law of three faults is effective. It achieved the goals of deterring and incapacitating career criminals without straining state budgets and overcrowding prisons. The law has progressed to ensure that it only targets career criminals. Each state has its own methods for exercising its preferences to ensure fair application of the law. The three-strikes law focuses on individuals and whether they receive longer sentences because of their past criminal behavior. Judge O'Connor explained, “Recidivism constitutes a serious public safety problem in California and across the country” (Goodno, 2007). The law was enacted to address this concern and currently it is showing that it is doing its job..