A COMPLEX PROBLEM

Re: Lee Cullum's Jan. 2 Viewpoints column, "Punishment does deter criminals."

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