Pubdate: Tue, 19 Jun 2001
Source: The Post and Courier (SC)
Copyright: 2001 Evening Post Publishing Co
Contact:   http://www.charleston.net/index.html
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/567
Author: Rev Msgr Thomas R Duffy

PRISON MANDATE

So Gary Maynard has been endorsed by a Senate committee to run the 
Department of Corrections. Your article did not mention anything about his 
mandate from Gov. Hodges in regard to running this department or what his 
plans are. I sincerely hope his mandate and his plans are to help make our 
prisons correctional and not just places for people to be punished. For too 
long political and some religious leaders have given up the idea that 
prisons exist primarily to seek to reform and rehabilitate our fellow 
residents convicted of crime so they can return as productive members of 
society. Instead, the goal has been, as some have clearly stated, to make 
prisons so dehumanizing that no one would want to return to them. They must 
not believe this works because they are the same people who want to make it 
impossible for people to get out of prisons. Sen. Patterson urged Mr. 
Maynard to allow prisoners to "hug" their loved ones when they are visited 
by them. Society needs to "hug" them, to show our concern for them by 
reinstating educational, religious and other programs that help build up 
their self-esteem that they will need in society and in fact they need in 
prison.

Rev. Msgr. Thomas R. Duffy
Garden City
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MAP posted-by: Beth