Committee Launches Campaign to Support Three-Strikes Initiative

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information contact:
July 15, 2004 Sam H. Clauder II,
(909) 653-3500

"Yes On 66" Committee Launches Campaign to Support Three-Strikes Initiative
Newport Beach, California

Supporters of Proposition 66 announced today what they have organized a
"Yes On 66" committee to support the November ballot initiative that
will amend California's three-strikes law.

Proposition 66, which qualified for the November ballot with over
700,000 signatures, is tough on crime, makes the original law work
better, and lives up to the original intent of the voters. It will
amend the three-strikes law to apply only to felonies that are violent
and provide for the re-sentencing of thousands of non-violent offenders
now serving strike-enhanced sentences for petty crimes. It is estimated
that this could save the state more than $750 million a year in prison
maintenance costs, and more than $1 billion in new prison construction.

California is the only state in the nation whose three-strikes law
applies the same sentences to petty criminals that it does to rapists,
robbers and murderers. Under the current law, every felony is a strike
which requires a prisoner to serve 85% of the sentence before qualifying
for parole while other convictions only requires 50% of a sentence
served before parole. A second felony requires that the primary
sentence be doubled -- 10 years for a 5-year sentence, 20 years for a
10-year sentence, etc. The third felony, of any kind, requires a
sentence of 25-years-to-life.

According to the Department of Corrections, there are now 42,322
strikers, only 15,448 of which have committed violent crimes. The
remaining include 10,173 for drug crimes, 12,768 for property crimes,
and 3,933 for other crimes. Under Prop 36 passed in 2000, the 10,173
strikers in for drug crimes would receive treatment instead of prison if
they were sentenced today.

The "Yes on 66" spokesperson is Sam Clauder, one of the most effective
political advocates for amending the three-strikes law during the past
ten years. Clauder strongly supported the original law, but soon
realized his mistake when petty criminals started receiving life-sentences.

Clauder is the founder of Citizens Against Violent Crime, the proponent
committee that placed Proposition 66 on the ballot earlier this year.
He formed CAVC in 1999, and, as its Political Director, drafted Joe
Klaas as spokesperson and authored initiatives that attempted to qualify
for the ballot in 2000 and 2002. Clauder has been a political advocate
and campaign consultant for 33 years.

"Like millions of other Californians, when I voted for the three-strikes
law I was voting to keep violent criminals locked up -- not to put
pizza-thieves, cookie-burglars, and dope-smokers in prison for life. It
is not appropriate justice, nor is it fair to the taxpayers, to reward
petty criminals with three-hots-and-a-cot for life. They should have to
survive in society as hard-working, law-abiding, taxpayers like the rest
of us," Clauder said.

"Prop 66 will change all that by continuing the three-strikes law for
violent criminals while providing another day in court for the
non-violent offenders. Prisoners now serving strike-enhanced sentences
could apply for, and possibly receive, a new, shorter sentence if their
offenses no longer count as strikes. But the re-sentencing provisions
of the initiative require each prisoner to return to the court of origin
so that the original Judge and District Attorney have jurisdiction over
the re-sentencing. Additionally, there are no restrictions on the
hearing, so the judge is free to re-sentence the offender in a just
manner, which will likely result in many offenders returning to prison
to serve out their sentences, but without the enhancements.

"For these, and many other reasons, major statewide polls conducted
during the past five years show public opinion shifted at the rate of
3-5% per year from supporting the three-strikes law to supporting this
amendment of it. The recent Field poll agreed with our private polls
that 75% of Californians will vote for Prop 66.

"We have a long history of leadership and action when it comes to
amending this extreme, overreaching, and costly law, and this committee
will be a very strong coalition of labor, community, and political
leadership that will insure the passage of Prop 66," Clauder concluded.

Those interested in supporting the campaign may call "Yes On 66" at
8-66-4-2-VOTE-66 or (866) 428-6836. Contributions and correspondence
may be mailed to 406 Orchid Avenue, #1032, Newport Beach, CA 92625.

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Sam H. Clauder II
Political Advocate & Organizer
12922 Harbor Blvd., Garden Grove, CA 92840 (mail)
(909) 653-3500
S.Clauder [at] att.net (public email address)