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We have a three-strikes law in California. From what I've heard, it does work. Only now there are people trying to limit it or get rid of it by finding sob stories of how someone gets life in prison from strike 3, which itself might be fairly minor.
The lastest one is a guy who helped a relative get a driver's license (the relative was an illegal immigrant). The felony fraud conviction was this guy's third strike, and we've got political groups trying to stir up opposition to three strikes with his story.
My perspective is that if you already have 2 strikes, and you're stupid enough to risk committing additional felonies, why should I feel sorry for you? The way our law works, all three strikes have to be felonies, and at least one of them has to be violent for the 3 strike penalty to go into effect. Plus, if they charge you with a number of crimes at the same time, all of those together count as one strike. In the case above, the politicians try to gloss over the previous armed robbery conviction that makes him eligible for the tougher sentencing.
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"Many are my names in many countries. Mithrandir among the Elves, Tharkun to the Dwarves; Olorin I was in my youth in the West that is forgotten, in the South Incanus, in the North Gandalf; to the East I go not"
--The Two Towers
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