It's not the old ball game: Three strikes and the courtroom workgroup

In 1994 California enacted legislation commonly known as "Three Strikes." A ccording to the conventional wisdom concerning the effect of "get tough" se ntencing enhancements, the most draconian provisions are undermined by pros ecutors, judges, and defense attorneys, who resist the changes in the "norm al" way of doing business. The research reported here uses data derived fro m interviews and surveys of courtroom members, and finds that Three Strikes has significantly disrupted the efficiency of the workgroup and has made t he prediction of case outcomes difficult.