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