LET REASON PREVAIL

I AM wholeheartedly in support of state Judge Michael McSpadden and
the Chronicle's editorial board for their enlightened approach to our
"bogged down" legal system in Harris County (see the Chronicle's Nov.
21 editorial "Smarter on crime / It's time for Harris County to heed
the message of a tough-on-crime judge about handling of drug cases").

Having served on grand juries since 1997, I have been appalled by the
waste of time, money and young lives by our self-righteous system.

Trace elements of any controlled substance are treated as felonious
contraband that subjects the holder to be sentenced to a two-year term
in our state jails.

I appealed to Harris County years ago for our courts to consider
"possession of narcotics paraphernalia" as an alternative -- the way
it is commonly handled in most of the other 253 jurisdictions in Texas
- -- but to no avail.

The system we have is turning out a whole generation of unemployed
thieves because once a person receives a felony conviction, it's near
impossible to get a job anywhere. Not many employers want to take a
chance on hiring a felon.

The felon feels there no hope of gainful employment, so he or she
commits more crime, and the taxpayers end up bearing the burden.

We must move into the 21st century and solve this drug problem.
Filling up our jails is obviously not the correct approach.

Perhaps the Legislature will allow reason to prevail in its next
session but we can't just keep putting one foot in front of the last
one.

BOB RYAN

Houston