We are in the midst of a horrific budget crisis. And what does Martinez want to focus upon? Re-instituting the Death Penalty and adopting a Three Strikes law that in California has resulted in thousands of geriatric prisoners, long past being a threat to society, sequestered in prisons and costing the state billions every year.  Why?

Analyses in 1994 suggested that the Three Strikes law would result in additional state prison operations costs of a few billion dollars annually by 2003, increasing to $6 billion dollars annually by 2026 as the full impact of the law was realized. There would also be one-time prison construction costs totaling $20 billion by 2026 necessary to house strikers in prison.  And guess who is impacted most? In California over 70% of three strike inmates are African American or Hispanic.

For a full primer on Three Strikes see this report by the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, a non-profit research organization.