Senate votes to study effectiveness of “three strikes” law

OLYMPIA – Is Washington’s “three strikes” law still effective or does it need improvement? That’s the question the Senate wants to put to a task force charged with evaluating the crimes classified as most serious offenses.

“We need to make sure the sentence fits the crime,” said Judiciary Committee Chair Sen. Adam Kline, D-Seattle. “It is entirely appropriate to periodically review our sentencing laws to determine if they’re working the way we intended.”

Washington’s three strikes law has been in effect since 1993. Critics point to inequities under the law, particularly when the offender is young. Under current law, an offender could commit three robberies in the second degree and be put away for life, as opposed to an individual who commits murder and is released from prison at age 45.

Senate Bill 5964, sponsored by Kline and unanimously approved by the Senate, would create a task force to evaluate the inclusion of assault in the second degree and robbery in the second degree within the list of crimes considered most serious offenses for purposes of Washington's three-strikes law. The task force is required to report back to the Legislature by Dec. 31.

“I personally believe it is unfair to impose life sentences for relatively minor crimes,” Kline said. “I’m willing to wait for the task force’s recommendations before taking further action.”

SB 5964 now goes to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

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