I would like to follow up to a May 17 letter. The author rightly points out that Georgia sentencing laws are overly harsh, particularly regarding possession of small amounts of drugs. Loud cries of objection can be expected from the private prison industry, which is handsomely paid by the state. Additional hand-wringing is likely from local and state governments because of the financial impact on their budgets that diminishing sentences will bring about. As the letter writer suggests, we will also hear an outcry from the public because of probable cutbacks in services it has come to take for granted.

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