ROSETTE GONZALES Corey Nasario, who has
served time in a California facility, and the group FACTS, want to
amend the three strikes law.
By Crystal Betz
Daily Bruin Contributor
Opponents of California’s three strikes law rallied and
marched through Westwood Saturday, calling for reform to
legislation they call cruel and unusual punishment that targets
poor and under-represented citizens.
The protest was organized by FACTS ““ Families to Amend
California’s Three Strikes ““ who said the purpose of
the rally was to draw attention to the proposed Assembly Bill 1790,
introduced by state assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg, D-Los Angeles.
AB 1790 would make the three strikes law only applicable to violent
felons.
“We want the time to fit the crime,” said Goldberg
to the crowd of marchers on the lawn at the Wilshire Federal
Building.
“It’s not fair to spend the rest of your life in
jail for bad check writing, it maybe illegal but should be punished
to fit the crime,” she added.
Currently under this law, an offender, who has been convicted of
two serious or violent crimes and then commits a third, is required
to serve a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
But Goldberg and members of FACTS may be facing a difficult
uphill battle. Gov. Gray Davis has said he won’t sign any
amendment to the law.
A 71.9 percent majority of California voters approved the
three-strikes law in 1994, shortly after the kidnapping and murder
of 12-year-old Polly Klaas of Petaluma. Richard Allen Davis,
convicted of the murder, was a repeat offender on parole at the
time of the kidnapping.
But according to a FACTS survey, over 60 percent of Californians
would vote “yes” on an amendment to the three strikes
law.
The crowd of protesters, estimated to be about 200 people, made
its way from the Federal Building through Westwood Village chanting
phrases like “Educate don’t incarcerate; end three
strikes” and drawing many people out of coffee shops and
stores to watch the protest.
Speakers talked to the crowd about their support for three
strikes reform.
“On behalf of UCLA as a community, I’m glad that the
community can come and take over our streets,” said Karren
Lane, Undergraduate Students Association Council president.
While addressing the crowd, Lane discussed the issue of what the
state has done to invest in California’s future, pointing out
that in the last 10 years California has built 21 prisons and only
one University.
“I’m here representing youth students,” said
Lane. “Our resistance to three strikes is our commitment to
humanity,” she added.
Protesters marched holding pictures of family and friends put
away for life by three strikes legislation for non-violent crimes
such as drug possession and theft.
“I’m here today because this law is wrong,”
said Pola Rich, a member of FACTS. Rich’s son received 38
years in prison after convicted of his third strike for minor drug
possession.
“I’m paying for my son to be in jail because
I’m a law-abiding citizen. The primary reason these people
are in jail is because of drug addiction; I rather see money go to
rehabilitation,” she added.
After appeals and review of Rich’s son’s case, one
of his strikes was thrown out, and his sentence was reduced to 24
years with an opportunity for prohibition.
Marcher Fred Zullo spoke to the crowd of protesters calling
three strikes “a very cruel law that needs to be
changed.” Zullo’s mentally ill son Phillip is currently
facing a 90-year sentence for making terrorist phone threats
against the Ventura County Sheriff Department.
“He was trying to commit suicide by cop; he has never hurt
anyone or done anything violent in his life,” Zullo said.
Phillip was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder in 1999, and all three
of his strikes stemmed from his efforts to commit suicide,
according to Zullo.
Almost 75 percent of second strikes and 50 percent of third
strikes in California are for non-violent offenses, according to
the FACTS organization.
Currently in California, 6,700 people are serving life sentences
under the law, including 340 whose offense was petty theft, a
representative of FACTS said.
Last month, the Federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down
two 25-life sentences on two men convicted for petty left, stating
it was “cruel and unusual punishment.” The courts said
it will not overturn the three strikes law in general, but only in
these cases.
Green Party Candidate for Lieutenant Governor Donna Warren
referred to three strikes “as the most evil, mean, and
vicious law ever passed.”
Marchers protesting the eight year anniversary of the three
strikes law were not met with any counter opposition during the
rally and there were no confrontations with police.
“The rally went very well, I was pleased,” said
Sergeant Weigal of the LAPD. “It was very organized; we had
no trouble.”