ANN LANDERS

Dear Ann:

This is in response to "Locked Down in Massachusetts," whose wife did not
want to bring their young son to visit his daddy in prison. I support the
wife 100 percent. When my wife and I were married, her ex-husband was
serving a three-year prison sentence. He was a drug addict who did
everything from writing bad checks to participating in armed robbery -- all
to finance his habit.

My stepdaughter visited her grandparents every other weekend. Once, they
persuaded us to let her visit her father in prison. We were not happy about
it, but were unsure of how to say no, so we let her go. Two weeks later, we
found a card in her room from another inmate. That "nice friend of Daddy's"
turned out to be a convicted felon who now had our daughter's name, phone
number and address.

When my wife was offered a job in another state, we jumped at the
opportunity. That summer, however, my stepdaughter was again visiting her
grandparents. Without our knowledge, they allowed her to have unsupervised
visits with her father, who was then out of prison. She spent several weeks
moving from house to house because drug dealers were chasing him for money
he owed. We have not let her go back since.

Her father is now back in jail (drugs again), and will not be eligible for
parole for 41 years. My stepdaughter was devastated, but my wife and I
breathed a sigh of relief. It was selfish and irresponsible to insist that
his child visit him in prison. A man who truly loves his children would not
place them in such a humiliating position.

No Tears for the Jailbird in D.C.

Your letter conveyed the message far better than anything I might say. Thank
you.

(snip)