California's Three Strikes law is expected to add over 275,000 inmates to the prison population and increase annual prison costs by $6.7 billion, including construction costs and debt service on bonds. In a time of fiscal crisis and limited discretionary spending, major increases in prison spending will threaten the quality and availability of higher education in California. The tradeoff between higher education and incarceration has largely been ignored in legislative and gubernatorial efforts to appear tough on crime. Data indicate that the decision to impose a 40-year sentence on a third-strike burglar costs the same as 2-year community college education for 200 individuals. Further, studies show that diverting resources from higher education to corrections can make the crime problem worse, particularly for young black males. 1 table and 9 graphs