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Stories of those Affected |
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The following testimony is taken from the Families Against Mandatory Minimums website:
Mandy had experiemented with drugs occationally at parties, but in August of 2003 she began using methamphetamine heavily every day and after ending a harrowing relationship with an abusive boyfriend who continued to threaten her after the break-up. Mandy quickly became addicted to methamphetamine and slid into a self-decribed "self-destructive rampage" where she lost her job as a dental hygienist and in December of 2003 started dating a man who was dealing methamphetamine. They quickly moved in together, and though Mandy knew that he was a drug dealer, she did not care because he was kind to her and could support her habit...
The following testimony from prisoner Loretta Clark is taken from the Families to Amend California's Three Strikes web site:
Did you know that you don't have to have even one violent crime to get a third strike? Did you know that the Three-Strikes laws predominantly targets the poor? When you don't have the money to afford an attorney who is willing to fight for you, more often than not, the D.A. prosecutes to the fullest extent, even for the most minor offenses. This ensures a conviction rate that looks great in black and white, but the gray areas are a nightmare of monstrous proportions to those non-violent strikers doing the type of time we used to reserve for the most heinous of offenses...
I realize we are only human and we're not infallible, but people's lives shouldn't be treated with the indifference of a baseball game.
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