Pubdate: Sun, 16 May 1999
Source: Seattle Times (WA)
Copyright: 1999 The Seattle Times Company
Contact:  http://www.seattletimes.com/
Author: Glenn H. Early, The November Coalition, Colville
Note:  This letter has been printed twice in the Seattle-Times. See
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n506.a10.html

Judicial System

WHERE'S PUBLIC OUTRAGE OVER NONVIOLENT CRIMINALS IN JAILS?

Where is the public outrage? The Justice Department reported that our
nation's jails and prisons now warehouse over 1.8 million individuals. When
the Justice Policy Institute analyzed the report, it found that 1.1 million
of those incarcerated are nonviolent offenders. Do the taxpayers really
enjoy wasting $24 billion every year to house nonviolent criminals? I
certainly doubt it.

It is time for the American people to demand effective and sensible
solutions to incarceration. With the foolish policies now, it will not be
long before one-third of our citizens are behind bars, with one-third
keeping an eye on them and the other third working to pay for it all.

Glenn H. Early, The November Coalition, Colville

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MAP posted-by: Jo-D