The current self-congratulatory tone among politicians and law
enforcement reeks of a well-done hat trick. Simply put, the notion
that more people in prison decreases crime is not true. Other factors
contribute more to the current lull in crime than this simplistic
solution to a very complex problem.

One is that the juvenile portion of our population is at a historic
low for the last 30 years. Crime rates follow closely the percentage
of juveniles in the population. Most people commit crime between the
ages of 15 and 26. If that age group is a small percentage of the
population, crime rates are low. If that age group is a large
percentage of the population, crimes rates are higher.

Also, the economy can take some credit for slowing down crime. People
can work now rather than rob or steal to support themselves.

And, as Americans and the supposed leader of the free world, we should
all be ashamed of the fact that our incarceration rate is five times
that of any other industrialized nation. We love to manufacture criminals.

DAN EASTERLING,
Richardson