So I heard on some TV show the other night, that in America, you have a 3 strikes policy towards crime, and there are some people serving 15 year sentences for ridiculous things like stealing 5 DVDs. Is this true? And if so... what the hell? Lol. Discuss.

This entire country's justice system is completely fucked. You'd be surprised at how many people are serving stupidly ridiculous prison sentences for petty shit, and how many serious motherfuckers are able to cheat the system and walk off scotch free.

This is so true. I know my friend's dad is serving like 25 to life for drug charges. But you hear everyday of convicted children sex offenders walking away after serving less than 5 years. Actually there was a man who lived less than one mile from my sister's elementary school that raped a 5 year old girl in NY state. But we didn't even know this until after he died. So tell me how is this justice? In my opinion drug addicts can be rehabilitated. People that are sick enough to rape a child should not be allowed into society ever again.

Agreed.

not every state has this - and it only applies to felonies

What is a 'felony'?

A felony=a severe crime, in the US usually punishable upon conviction by a large fine or by a term of imprisonment longer than one year or by both fine and imprisonment, or which is punishable by death. ...

Its a more serious crime then a misdemeanor. Hard to explain lol.

Federal government defines a felony as a crime punishable by death or imprisonment in excess of one year. If punishable by exactly one year or less, it is classified as a misdemeanor.
Crimes commonly considered to be felonies include, but are not limited to: aggravated assault and/or battery, arson, burglary, illegal drug use/sales, grand theft, robbery, murder, rape, and vandalism on federal property, carrying a weapon into a federal building or school zone.

I know that there is something that can cause any crime you commit to be a felony.
I'm not really sure what would cause a judge to do that to someone, but I know on Dog the Bounty hunter they were trying to find a guy who was wanted for like, a traffic ticket. Speeding or something. It was considered a felony for him because of his past.

All I know is that people here get off scott free for insane things (like crimes involving children) but little shit they'll spend forever in jail for.

I dont know about the particular case you are referring to but to give an example.. 2 people are holding up a 7-11 store. Person A simply demands the cash. Person B is holding the gun and fires a shot that bounces off the counter and hits the employee - wounding (and or killing the employee) person A's charges automaticly escalte to a feleony level because its a serious bodily injury or death during the comission of a crime already in progress. Even though the gun was never in his hand. Typically this happens during kidnapping, wrongful imprisonment, robbery, carjacking etc cases.

Ok now I'm confused don't you mean Person B's charges automatically escalate to a felony because he caused serious bodily injury or death?

No, she means Person A. Even though he wasn't holding the gun.

But I thought she was giving 2 totally different scenarios? So Person A & B are doing the robbery together? I think that's where I got confused.

Lol yes.

thank you lol

In most places, accessory to a crime is punished identically to actually committing the crime. Which is how it should be.

My husband went to school with a guy who got a murder charge because he was buying weed illegally and one of the people he was buying from shot and killed my husbands "friends" friend. Because they were in the commission of a felony when the murder occurred.

Twenty four states have some form of habitual offender laws.

The name comes from baseball, where a batter is permitted two strikes before striking out on the third.

The Three Strikes law significantly increases the prison sentences of persons convicted of felonies who have been previously convicted of a violent crime or serious felony, and limits the ability of these offenders to receive a punishment other than a prison sentence. Violent and serious felonies are specifically listed in state laws. Violent offenses include murder, robbery of a residence in which a deadly or dangerous weapon is used, rape and other sex offenses; serious offenses include the same offenses defined as violent offenses, but also include other crimes such as burglary of a residence and assault with intent to commit a robbery or rape and murder.