BULGING PRISONS REFLECT OUR SOCIETY'S PRIORITIES

LETTER #1

COLUMNIST Joseph Spear's analogy (Opinion, Aug. 11) is so misguided it
would be comical if it wasn't so sad. He continues to perpetuate the
myth of ``country club'' prisons and states that he's rejoicing that
the prisons are bulging; it means the government is doing its job.

In the same column he cites statistics that show crime rates,
including violent crime rates, are down. Well, gee, who does he think
is filling up the prisons if it isn't the violent offenders? How about
addicts and substance abusers?

Our government may be doing a great job of locking people up, but it
long ago gave up the goal of rehabilitating anyone. As a result, we're
building more and more prisons and filling them up with people who
ingest illegal substances. Is this the best that we can do? Is this
any kind of logical solution?

Dollar for dollar, it would seem that we could better spend our
resources in the form of intervention, treatment and rehab than
constructing yet another penitentiary. This may be what Mr. Spear
defines as ``gnashing of teeth by liberals,'' but in many circles it's
what passes for common sense.

- -- Lolly Powell Belanger Felton
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LETTER # 2

THREE cheers for Joseph Spear.

I would be very interested in the opinion of the citizens of our
country regarding the treatment of our prisoners. It is curious how

lawyers are not only available to bring suits against prisons but how
vehemently they present their case. Where are the lawyers for the
victims of these prisoners? Is it that prisoners are housed in a
prison and, therefore, easier to represent than their victims who are
spread out?

Fortunately, I have not been one of those victims, but my heart goes
out to them again every time I read of a suit being brought against
the city or county for the ``terrible'' treatment of the prisoners.
Victims, like the middle class, are hard pressed to organize
themselves and so I feel we somehow have to obtain at least as good a
representation for victims as for prisoners. I totally agree with
Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff Joe Arpaio's view of how we should
treat prisoners since I do not see that any of his views represents
mistreating them.

- -- Ed Lodi Campbell
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LETTER # 3

JOSEPH Spear may look forward with relish to a day when half of the
poor and disadvantaged will be prepared by their education only to be
cops and prison guards controlling the other half who will be their
criminals and convicts; I do not.

That is clearly the future we are investing in through futile drug
prohibition and runaway incarceration.

- -- Thomas J. O'Connell San Mateo
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LETTER # 4

A recent two-week visit to western Pennsylvania just happened to
correspond to the period of time when `` . . . recent reports about
breakouts at a private prison in Youngstown, Ohio'' occurred, leading
to bad press, poisoning ``efforts by both foes and supporters of
private prisons'' (Page 10A, Aug. 10).

The Youngstown suburb's facility was a maximum security private prison
in which six felons, murderers and rapists, walked out of the prison
into a community that had initially welcomed the jobs the prison
brought. Prison officials struggled valiantly to contain the damage,
but it was left to local law enforcement to mop up the mess the prison
had created for an unprepared public.

Television stations and radio were constantly broadcasting updates for
over a week, trying to keep a terrified populace informed. At a time
when children were home on summer vacation, all were being kept
indoors until the suspects were captured, as these were violent men.
After one week, all but one of the prisoners had been captured, while
members of communities in two states were terrified to go out of their

homes. Ohio officials were calling for closure of the prison, as this
was the last in a series of events that left the small community
regretting the decision to have a private prison built in its midst.

As in Ohio, California is now considering private prisons, but is the
public ready for the dangers inherent in having private prisons?

- -- Mary Fairfield San Jose

Checked-by: "Rich O'Grady"