# Justice Manual § 9-60.020: Sentencing Enhancement—"Three Strikes" Law

> Federal · Agency guidance · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-60.020

## Section

- **Citation:** Justice Manual § 9-60.020
- **Heading:** Sentencing Enhancement—"Three Strikes" Law
- **Jurisdiction:** Federal
- **Kind:** Agency guidance
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** DOJ Justice Manual / Title 9: Criminal / 9-60.000 - Protection Of The Individual / Justice Manual § 9-60.020

## Text

The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 included a "Three Strikes" provision, which is now codified at 18 U.S.C. §  3559(c). Under § 3559(c) a defendant will receive mandatory life imprisonment if he or she:

is convicted in federal court of a "serious violent felony" and
has two or more prior convictions in federal or state courts, at least one of which is a "serious violent felony." The other prior offense may be a "serious drug offense."

On March 13, 1995, the Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division issued a memorandum to all United States Attorneys regarding the "Three Strikes" law.

[updated January 2020] [cited in
JM 9-63.1200
]

## Nearby sections

- [Justice Manual § 9-60.010 Introduction](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-60.010.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-60.020 Sentencing Enhancement—"Three Strikes" Law](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-60.020.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-60.111 Kidnapping/Missing Persons—Prosecution Policy](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-60.111.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-60.113 Prosecution Policy—"Deprogramming" of Religious Sect Members](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-60.113.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-60.200 Criminal Sanctions Against Illegal Electronic Surveillance](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-60.200.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-60.202 Illegal Electronic Eavesdropping—Prosecution Policy](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-60.202.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-60.203 State Laws](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-60.203.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-60.262 Prosecutive Policy—18 U.S.C. § 2512](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-60.262.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-60.400 Criminal Sanctions Against Illegal Electronic Surveillance—The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), 50 U.S.C. §  1809](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-60.400.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-60.700 Hostage Taking (18 U.S.C. §  1203)—Prosecution Policy](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-60.700.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-60.711 Prosecution Policy in Hostage Taking Cases When the Death Penalty is Authorized by Statute](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-60.711.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-60.800 Special Forfeiture of Collateral Profits of Crime ("Son of Sam")](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-60.800.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-60.900 Murder-for-Hire—18 U.S.C. §  1958](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-60.900.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-60.910 Prosecution Policy and the Death Penalty](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-60.910.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-60.020. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.