Three strikes law? Not in Connecticut!

Say two thirds of those polled in this latest Quinnipiac University poll. There you go legislators.

Only 35 percent of voters support a so-called “third strike” law where a person convicted of three violent felonies automatically is sentenced to life in prison, while 63 percent say sentences should be decided on a case-by-case basis.

Oh thank God.

There are some other interesting results in this poll. For example, only 27 percent say they feel less safe at home since Cheshire. On prison overcrowding:

48 percent of voters say build more prisons, while 39 percent say release inmates earlier. But only 47 percent of voters want to pay higher taxes for new prisons, while 50 percent are opposed.

Meanwhile, by a 62 – 32 percent margin, Connecticut voters are willing to pay higher taxes for more community supervision of offenders.

Interestingly, the Cheshire murders have not sparked a huge increase in support for the death penalty. Connecticut is in favor of the death penalty by a margin of 63-27, which is a slight increase from 60%, which was prior to Cheshire. However, when given the alternative of life in prison without parole, the state splits 47-44 in favor of the death penalty.