Three-strikes provision in Ohio law could double sentences for repeat offenders
Cleveland.com Blog
10/25/2007
Although Ohio’s prisons are bursting at the seams, state representatives and senators are considering a bill that would double the time spent in prison for repeat offenders.
Columbus — The Ohio Senate began hearings this week on a bill that could permit judges to lock up repeat felons for twice as long as current law allows.
Judges could hand down maximum sentences without explanation for a second offense in any felony case. And those headed to prison for at least the third time — under a so-called “three strikes” provision — could see their time doubled.
The three-strikes provision is getting the most attention. Currently, 26 other states and the federal government have similar laws, according to the Justice Policy Institute. But few are as tough as Senate Bill 208, the Ohio proposal, which could mean double time for everyone from shoplifters to rapists.
The bill would be the most significant change to sentencing guidelines in Ohio in a decade and would almost certainly lead to increases in the state’s prison population — which at just under 50,000 inmates today is already at a record high.
An analysis by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction estimates this bill could add 11,000 inmates in three years. The estimate jumps to about 40,000 additional inmates over the next 10 years or, worst case, the prison population could swell to more than 100,000 during that period.
Critics already are lining up to pan the bill, saying it is Draconian, expensive, wrongly focused on nonviolent offenders and that it could disproportionately affect blacks.