<P> In 1995, Sioux City, Iowa native Tommy Lee Farmer, a professional criminal who had served 43 years in prison for murder and armed robbery was the first person in the United States to be convicted under the federal three - strikes law when he was sentenced to life in prison for an attempted robbery at an eastern Iowa convenience store . The sentencing was considered so significant that President Bill Clinton interrupted a vacation to make a press statement about it . </P> <P> Another example of the three - strikes law involves Timothy L. Tyler who, in 1992 at age 24, was sentenced to life in prison without parole when his third conviction (a federal offense) triggered the federal three - strikes law, even though his two prior convictions were not considered violent, and neither conviction resulted in any prison time served . </P> <P> Some states, such as California, have seen dramatic drops in their crime rates since the enactment of the Three - Strikes Law . In 2011, Los Angeles, California reported crime had decreased by half of the current amount since 1994, which is the same year the Three - Strikes Law was put into place . Although this decrease in crime might be attributed to the enactment of stricter sentences, Los Angeles officials speculate the drop in crime might also be related to better relationships within the community and better crime - predicting tools . </P> <P> In 2004, The Effect of Three - Strikes Legislation on Serious Crime in California study analyzed the effect of the Three - Strikes legislation as a means of deterrence and incapacitation . The study found that the Three - Strikes Law did not have a very significant effect on deterrence of crime, but also that this ineffectiveness may be due to the diminishing marginal returns associated with having pre-existing repeat offender laws in place . </P>

California's three strikes sentencing statutes are examples of