If the laws on our books were exposed, there would be nothing we could do without breaking one of them.

Punitive laws often remain long past their usefulness.

The “three-strikes” law is a glaring example.

Most states that adopted a “three-strikes” law modified it when they realized the severity and the ramifications of it.

Meant in all sincerity to put the most violent people behind bars for lfe, we find that instead we have incarcerated many for life who have been arrested for lower-level offenses.

Three out of four serving life under this law were convicted of less-serious crimes.

Washington should consider repealing or at least modifying this law.

Our “tough-on-crime” spree has accomplished nothing but the overpopulation of our prisons and the expenditure of millions in tax dollars.

Lea Zengage is a Seattle resident.