I was referring to those people who have been jailed for life on the basis of "three strikes and your out" for relatively minor misdemeanours in the scheme of things....
Doesn't happen that way. The "three strikes" rule doesn't equate a life sentence; it only elevates it to the next higher class. Three low misdemeanors would elevate to the next higher class misdemeanor until eventually reaching the lowest class felony and three lower class felonies would only elevate to the next highest class felony. There are (in most states) three classes of each for a total of six classes of criminal behavior. For someone to get a life sentence on the three strikes rule, they would have had to have committed three separate class 2 felonies (a felony class which in and of itself warrants 10 to 15 years sentences per conviction)