25-Years to Life for a Traffic Violation

California’s Three Strike Law - We must abolish this evil and the system that supports it, that type of hate will surely ruin a nation. Rev. Dennis Malone




My Name is Henry Hendrix. I am currently serving a 25-years to life prison sentence for a traffic violation (Evading Arrest) and two juvenile prior offenses that date back well over 35-years ago. I was 16-years old on my first prior, and 17-years old on the second prior. Both were serious, but not violent - I was just a kid when I took these plea bargains; I am currently into my 16th year of 25 years to life for a traffic violation.
There are still thousands of men and women like myself who are serving life in California's prisons for non-violent crimes. California is the only state that warehouses non-violent offenders under its Three Strike Law. Over 4,000 men and women are serving life sentences for crimes like petty drug possession, receiving stolen property, petty theft, evading arrest, and joy riding. While murders,, rapist., and child molesters do receive goodtime/worktime credits, the non-violent inmates sentenced under California’s three strikes law do not receive any type of goodtime/worktime credits toward their sentence, and must serve a minimal of 25-years before becoming eligible for parole. Most of these inmates have already served over half their sentence, and are up in age. They will surely be in need of the medical services the Federal Receiver is asking for in order to bring California’s prison system into compliance with all constitutional requirements.
California continues to have enormous budget deficits, and a prison system that is extremely overcrowded and draining state funds that would normally be used for education. However, the politicians continue to portray non-violent three strike inmates as dangerous criminals who deserve a life sentence for crimes that normally carry 6-months to 1-year in the county jail. Most have never killed, molested, or raped anyone. They are drug abusers who have committed petty drug related offenses, and with drug and alcohol treatment could become productive tax paying citizens, instead of tax burdens.
While all other inmates are being paroled and released, the 4,000 or so non-violent inmates under California’s Three Strikes Law still find themselves languishing in prison until they have served at least 25-years on their life sentence.
If you would like to help in changing this law please contact:
Henry Hendrix #J-13498, P.O. Box 715071 Represa, Ca.95671-5071 HLH61@Hotmail.com