REHABILITATION NOT FOUND BEHIND TEXAS PRISON BARS

I have written several letters to editor of TRN, and would like to thank
both. The letters have been facts and the truth about the (losing) war on
drugs.

I grew up in a two-parent home, and went to church, made good grades in
school until introduced to drugs. Then everything changed, trouble and
incarceration followed.

I've never been offered any type of rehab, and in case you missed the 6 and
10 news on Dec. 8, this time was no exception. I got 10 years TDCJ. I have
three children and they are also victims. In 1999, nearly 1.5 million
children had at least one parent in state or federal prison. Texas has
upwards of 220,000 people, that's up nearly 500 percent in a quarter of a
century. Between 1985 and 1996, total expenditures on state prison
activities more than doubled, from under 13 billion to over 27 billion.

When will enough be enough? We need prisons that truly correct and
rehabilitate or more rehab programs. Or how about faith-based non-profit
prisons?

John Drullinger Jr.,
Wichita Falls