After Polly Klaas’ murder, her father, Marc Klaas, campaigned for California’s Three Strikes Law, which enhances the sentences of convicts who have had prior convictions (via California Courts). At the time of Polly’s abduction and murder, Richard Allen Davis had just been out of prison on parole for kidnapping. He was sentenced to prison in 1984 for 16 years but was released after only serving half of his sentence. If he had completed his prison time, he wouldn’t have been free to abduct Polly.
Today, as reported by Fox News, several states follow the Three Strikes Law, but the rules vary for each jurisdiction. The basic idea of the law is to look into previous convictions of a person who has committed a serious offense, and if convicted for a third time, the sentence may be increased to more years or even life in prison.
