Pubdate: Sat, 15 Aug 1998
Date: 08/15/1998
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Author: Lolly Powell Belanger
Website: http://www.sjmercury.com/

COLUMNIST Joseph Spear's analogy (Opinion, Aug. 11) is so misguided it
would be comical if it wasn't so sad. He continues to perpetuate the
myth of ``country club'' prisons and states that he's rejoicing that
the prisons are bulging; it means the government is doing its job.

In the same column he cites statistics that show crime rates,
including violent crime rates, are down. Well, gee, who does he think
is filling up the prisons if it isn't the violent offenders? How about
addicts and substance abusers?

Our government may be doing a great job of locking people up, but it
long ago gave up the goal of rehabilitating anyone. As a result, we're
building more and more prisons and filling them up with people who
ingest illegal substances. Is this the best that we can do? Is this
any kind of logical solution?

Dollar for dollar, it would seem that we could better spend our
resources in the form of intervention, treatment and rehab than
constructing yet another penitentiary. This may be what Mr. Spear
defines as ``gnashing of teeth by liberals,'' but in many circles it's
what passes for common sense.

Lolly Powell Belanger
Felton