WRONG IMPRESSION OF HOW ONE LIVES A LIFE IN PRISON

Reporter Editor:

Regarding the letter titled, "Lawbreakers made their own beds" (Reporter,
Aug. 15), the author seems to feel that all California prisoners are guilty
of rape, murder, shooting or other violence.

She may not be aware that 70 percent of women prisoners and more than 50
percent of male prisoners are incarcerated for non-violent crimes, most of
them drug crimes.

Many of our prisoners are drug addicts and many of them are also mental
patients who really need treatment rather than prison, but there isn't any
such thing for poor people. So they go to prison.

I'd like to add that prisons are in no way comfortable places, so the
letter writer needn't worry about her taxes paying to make prisoners
comfortable, just mostly it makes the guards comfortable.

In addition, there is no air conditioning in any California prisons, even
though some of them are in some extremely hot areas. We were objecting to
electricity being cut off so they could not run the fans, since their cells
are extremely tiny with no windows. Personally, I feel it is definitely a
health hazard.

By the way, I have no loved ones in prison, but I am interested in treating
all human beings in a humane and Christian way.

Zoe Sodja, Santa Cruz