ous crime" sentenc!
             e within the past ten years . Robbery, theft, assault, and motor vehicle theft continues to decline. Is there a relationship between these types of crimes and those who are now incarcerated? It is generally recognized that a minority of criminals commit a majority of the crimes; therefore, one offender may be responsible for multiple incidents within a type of crime. In defending the three strikes legislation, California Governor Pete Wilson stated that two-thirds of violent crime perpetrated by less than 10% of convicted felons. He further related that during the first three years of the law, 2,900 violent criminals were imprisoned, while overall crime dropped 20%, with violent crime down 9.3% and property crimes down 14% . Most states have initiated tougher sentencing for habitual offenders and for crimes that have a link to additional criminal acts. Since 1990, the number of people in custody has risen more than 577,100 or 1,708 inmates per week. Today, more than 1.7 millio!
             n people are confined in state, federal, and local correctional facilities. As the repeat offenders are taken off the streets, it is reasonable to expect that the repeatable crimes should significantly decline. In the 1980’s, crime in Texas jumped 29% creating a ratio of eight crimes for every 100 citizens. During the 1990’s, after
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