Most people accused of crimes in 2014 went on to have subsequent contact with police. Those with more than 10 re-contacts averaged 26

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Canadian media commentary tends to look down its long, thin nose on the “three-strikes-and-you’re-out-laws” almost 30 American states have that give repeat offenders of serious crimes extra-long prison sentences. In our eyes, they are just one more example of Americans’ less sophisticated approach to almost everything. Like the Europeans our prime minister believes we resemble, we see ourselves as more understanding of the complexities of crime, punishment and the human condition generally. This despite the fact that among the first two U.S. states to introduce three-strikes laws in the modern era were California and Washington, both highly-regarded (in Canada) coastal blue states, while New York, the quintessential coastal blue state, has had an habitual offender law since 1797.

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OK, Canada. If you don’t like three-strikes-and-you’re-out, how about 26?

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