What does Missouri's "Three Strikes" law primarily target?

Missouri's "Three Strikes" law is designed to impose harsher penalties on individuals who are repeat offenders of serious violent crimes. This legislative measure identifies and targets individuals who have been convicted of multiple serious offenses, reinforcing the idea that repeated violent behavior poses a significant threat to public safety.

The law typically mandates that after a person is convicted of three serious violent felonies, they may be subjected to a much longer prison sentence, potentially life imprisonment. This approach serves as both a deterrent to potential offenders and a way to remove habitual violent offenders from society, thereby aiming to reduce the prevalence of serious crime.

The other options focus on different types of offenses that do not align with the intent of the "Three Strikes" law. First-time offenders and minor property crimes are not the focus, as the law is specifically aimed at individuals with a pattern of committing serious violent acts. Likewise, traffic violations do not equate to the severity of crimes that "Three Strikes" addresses.