More justice reform needed

Recent letters regarding justice, the judicial system and double standards all ring true. Justice for all should be the outcome, no matter who you are, no matter what you have done, no exceptions. Sadly, this is not the way it is.

An ongoing injustice, our “three-strikes” law, cannot seem to warrant reform even though we have nonviolent people languishing in overcrowded prisons at an enormous cost to the already overtaxed taxpayers. Another legislative session is drawing to a close without due consideration of the need for criminal justice reform.

Some 72 percent of those serving life sentences under the three-strikes law have convictions of lower-level offenses, e.g. second-degree robbery and/or second-degree assault. These two crimes are classified in the least serious quartile of criminal offenses (RCW 9.94A.515) and would normally carry a standard sentence of three months to seven years. Under three-strikes, the penalty is life without parole. No one has been murdered. No one has been raped. No one has been maimed. What are we doing?

Tracy Karstetter

Spokane