California Turns Down 'Three Strikes' Reform

An effort to amend California's Three Strikes law, to fix what some see as flaws in the procedure that sends a person convicted of three felonies to prison for a minimum of 25 years, was turned down by 53 percent of voters.

The proposed change, known as Proposition 66, would have required the third offense to be a violent or serious felony in order for the 25 years to life mandatory sentence to be imposed.

The proposition would have allowed the resentencing of those previously sentenced under the current law and many inmates in California prisons would probably have been released.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger campaigned against the change and five million Californians voted against it.

See Daily Bruin: Majority Votes Against Prop. 66