Eliminate Habitual Offenders laws.

Habitual Offender (Three Strikes You’re Out) laws are affecting both state and federal sentencing policies. They require judges to sentence offenders with three convictions to long prison terms. These laws disproportionately affect African Americans, many for minor crimes, the third time. These laws tend to limit judicial discretion while widening prosecutorial discretion. Too often, persons who may have been convicted of crimes earlier in their life face the possibility of long-term incarceration for minor infractions later in life, as in the case of Abdurrahim Muslim, who has a criminal background that goes back 17 years and a mistake that stems from a legalized name change used on a firearm application, is currently charged with "Armed Habitual Criminal" and faces a prison sentence of from 6 to 30 years.