Pubdate: Sun, 06 Feb 2005 Source: Valley Morning Star (TX) Copyright: 2005 Valley Morning Star Contact: http://www.valleystar.com/letters.php Website: http://www.valleystar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/584 Author: John Chase Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05.n144.a10.html GOOD RIDDANCE TO EXCESSIVE SENTENCES Editor: The editorial of Jan. 25, "Some discretion returns to judges," was excellent. Let's hope Congress sits back for a few years to see how these now-advisory guidelines work in practice before they overreact with another "fix," later judged to be unconstitutional. While waiting, consider the tens of thousands of low-level felons, mostly women, on the receiving end of now-unconstitutional sentences, especially long because low-level felons usually have no information to trade for a "downward departure" from the guidelines' sentence range. If we are a moral, compassionate people, we should not continue to hold prisoners sentenced to a standard now ruled to be unconstitutional. John Chase Palm Harbor, Fla. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin