The Violent Crime and Law Enforcement Act of 1994

Another study, I'd rather be Hanged for a Sheep than a Lamb: The Unintended
Consequences of 'Three-Strikes' Laws, released by the National Bureau of Economic
Research found that three-strikes laws discourage criminals from committing
misdemeanors for fear of a life prison sentence. Although this deters crime and
contributes to lower crime rates, the laws may possibly push previously convicted
criminals to commit more serious offenses. The study's author argues that this is so
because under such laws, felons realize that they could face a long jail sentence for
their next crime, and therefore they have little to lose by committing serious crimes
rather than minor offenses. Through these findings, the study weighs both the pros and
cons for the law.
A 2015 study found that three-strikes laws were associated with a 33% increase in the
risk of fatal assaults on law enforcement officers.
New Zealand
In 2010, New Zealand enacted a similar three-strikes law called the Sentencing and
Parole Reform Act 2010. The bill was sponsored by Police and Corrections
Minister Judith Collins from the ruling National Party. It was passed into law by the
National and ACT parties but was opposed by the opposition Labor and Green parties,
and National's support partner, the Māori Party. While the Sentencing and Parole Act
was supported by conservative groups such as the Sensible Sentencing Trust, critics
attacked the law for promoting penal populism and disproportionately targeting
the Māori community.
In early June 2018, an attempt by the Labour-led coalition government to overturn the
Sentencing and Parole Act was blocked by Labour's support partner New Zealand
First and the opposition National and ACT parties. NZ First had indicated its opposition
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