Three Strikes and You're Out!

Mike Reynolds is the father of Kimber Reynolds, 18, who was gunned down in 1992 by two muggers as she exited a restaurant in Fresno, California. Mr. Reynolds became part of the victims' movement when his daughter became a crime statistic. In recent years, more and more Americans are demanding harsher sentences for violent habitual criminals.

Kimber's death, along with several other murder victims who died at the hands of predators, prompted Mr. Reynolds to crusade on their behalf. He is responsible for initiating two prominent California crime laws that have been adopted in many states: “Three Strikes and You're Out!” and “Ten, Twenty, Life.” These tough laws have affected how we classify and punish violent habitual offenders.

In 1994, California voters approved the ballot initiative known ...