The Iowa House has voted to toughen Iowa’s law on habitual offenders and set a minimum 20-year prison sentence for people convicted of several serious crimes. Representative Steve Holt, a Republican from Denison, says it would be a mandatory sentence of at least two decades, as there would be no possibility for parole under the new system for repeat offenders.
Multiple convictions for theft, harassment or possession of a controlled substance would not be considered when a court decides whether someone should be sentenced to 20 years as a habitual offender. The clock for counting felony and aggravated misdemeanor convictions that would lead to getting a 20-year sentence wouldn’t start until the bill becomes law. Representative Eric Gjerde, a Democrat who’s a Cedar Rapids policeman, voted against the bill.
Gjerde says states that passed similar laws in the 1990s saw dramatic increases in prison costs without a long-term drop in crime. Representative Ross Wilburn, a Democrat from Ames, says the worst of the worst should get long sentences, but he says a young person convicted of a series of non-violent crimes could wind up in prison for 20 years if the bill becomes law.
Holt says the new system will prioritize victims and public safety.
The bill passed on a 68-23 vote. Two other crime-related bills passed by a far larger margin. One would provide the public with more information about the performance of judges. The other sets new statewide standards for bail.
