Drug Court

HOW MANY CHANCES?

As I opened my Dec. 6 Skagit Valley Herald, I was interested to see the article regarding the new drug court of Skagit County. It was interesting not simply due to the concept, but because I am familiar with one of the program "volunteers." It blows me away that this person can commit crimes including burglary, theft and check forgery, and basically volunteer not to go to jail.

Let the truth be known: This person has a lengthy criminal record, and has been in and out of drug treatment centers with no success. Apparently treatment has been no help, and jail time previously served has been a joke.

I might add that I hope this new program does help these people. Everyone deserves a second chance. But how many second chances is enough? It is time, as a community, to say that enough is enough and give these drugaddicted thieves what they deserve the first time they get caught, not after they have had chance after chance after chance.

Finally, I do not want my public donations to be put toward rewarding these people. Do you really believe they deserve movie passes, dinner certificates, or anything else from public donations? Instead, why not make them pay for the broken windows, forged checks and bad debts that others are now paying for? Judge Rickert, since you believe these proven criminals should be rewarded for doing the things that they should have been doing to begin with, why not use your own personal funds?

I am a lawabiding citizen, and so is the victim whose home was broken into. Can we get dinner certificates and some movie passes while you are at it? Or must we commit a crime to get these rewards?

Susan Johnson

Mount Vernon