Three members of the US Olympic baseball team have been jailed under mandatory sentencing laws for high-fiving and wearing baseball caps backwards while on a visit to the Northern Territory, it was revealed this week.

The three athletes were sentenced under the territory's controversial 'three strikes and in' laws. US Olympic officials have expressed their dismay and are protesting the "cruel and unusual punishment"of the key players.

A Northern Territory police spokesman said the trio were arrested and convicted three times for exuberant high fiving and for wearing baseball caps 'improperly'.

"These guys were jumping around yelling 'MO-REESE!' and 'YO! BUM RUSH THE SHOW' and it's not the kind of behaviour we want to see around here.

"If Aboriginal kids pick up on this kind of Black Power thing, the next thing you know it'll be the Los Angeles riots except it'll be Darwin, Yuendemu and Alice that will be burning."

He said the seriousness of the offences committed by the US visitors were reflected in the jail terms which were only for capital offences.

"A capital crime is one with a capital letter in front of it. For example High Fiving and Baseball Cap On Backwards were capital crimes, as were Stealing Felt Tipped Pens, Cordial and Biscuits," he explained.

"Lesser crimes like embezzlement and corruption were lower case crimes and this was reflected in lighter sentences."

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