ADDICTED MOTHER WOULD BENEFIT FROM JAIL TIME

I take strong exception to the Herald-Leader's July 20 editorial "Giving
addicted mother a second chance." The contention that Sherry Von Penrod
deserves mental health treatment rather than prison sounds suspiciously
similar to the age-old liberal whine that people are not responsible for
their actions and, therefore, should not be punished for their
transgressions. Penrod is an addict and, apparently, a particularly
hard-core drug addict to have been willing to jeopardize her daughter's
safety for the sake of drugs.

Whether Penrod can complete two full years of probation remains to be seen,
of course, but I am willing to bet she has undergone treatment before and
that her addiction is too powerful to be overcome with an "I'm sorry, I'll
never do drugs again."

I work at a state prison where many inmates are enrolled in a substance
abuse program. Prison does not, as the editorial seems to imply, preclude
treatment for drug addiction, and may actually provide the structured
environment and reality check that Penrod needs if she truly wants to get
clean.

At the very least, put the blame on the one person truly responsible for
her problem. As Kathleen Mulcahy's letter, published the same day as the
editorial, said, we tend to blame anyone or anything for our own failings.

Michael Mills, Frankfort