Part I: Robert Kelsey; Part II: Ted Westerman

In Part I of this two-part viewpoint, Robert Kelsey argues that the three-strikes law is doing what it was designed to do: incarcerate habitual felons so that they are no longer a menace to society. In Part II, Ted Westerman contends that the criminals sentenced under the three-strikes laws have committed a second or third violent or serious felony and therefore deserve a severe sentence. In addition, he asserts that the three-strikes law is responsible for a declining crime rate. Kelsey is a retired deputy probation officer in California; Westerman is chairman of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation in Sacramento.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Kelsey, why are counties that ignore third strikes still experiencing a drop in crime rates?
2. By how much did the California...