VESTED INTERESTS

Editor -- Kudos and thanks for publishing "Prison Guards' Undue Influence"
by Macallair and Terry (Sunday, Sept. 17). The vested interests of putting
and keeping increasing numbers of our citizens in prisons extends far
beyond the parochial interests of the prison guards. Prison construction
interests, bankers who fund them, prison provisions providers, companies
that employ the captive employees, economic interests of the surrounding
communities and politicians who ``service'' their constituents must be
counted among them. The longer we delay in reforming sentencing laws the
more entrenched these vested interested will become.

GERALD M. SUTLIFF

Emeryville

COSTLY FOCUS ON DRUGS

Editor -- Thanks for your very thoughtful articles (Sunday, Sept. 17) on
self-medication in our drug-laden society. They give me added information
and perspective. I too wonder why our society squanders millions of dollars
imprisoning some drug users while school budgets go begging, children live
in poverty and health care goes down the tubes. Are we squandering our
nations future to punish personal behavior?

STEPHANIE RIEGEL

San Francisco