Three-strikes law
The idea quickly spread to other states, but none of them chose to adopt a law as extensive as California's. By 2004, twenty-six states and the federal government had laws that can be called "three-strikes" laws. Each of these laws said that a third felony conviction brings a sentence of 20 years to life in prison. The person must serve 20 years before they can qualify for parole. A 1997 study found that in California, "the three-strikes law did not decrease serious crime or petty theft rates below the level expected on the basis of preexisting trends."