WASTED DOLLARS

Soon construction will be starting on the county jail to expand it.
This is funded by local taxpayer dollars. It's too bad we live in a
community that puts much needed resources into a jail.

Sitting in at county board meetings, I heard citizens and county
board supervisors alike, for the last year and a half, say we should
spend that money on treatment for these individuals.

$19 million dollars is a lot to spend on treatment. What would we
treat? How much more money do we have to spend on people who really
don't give a damn about anyone other than themselves? For whatever
reason, many of them have decided that education is a waste of time.
So they're uneducated. Right there is millions of dollars down the drain.

In jail, they get another chance at education. They get their
chances, if they qualify, to participate in programs that better
their lives. A lot of them bypass those opportunities as well, again.
They get medical care, for something like $5. Jail can't be that bad
a place if so many people keep going back. I'm afraid it's getting too nice.

If well-meaning citizens say they want treatment for those
incarcerated to save tax money, why not eliminate the war on drugs?
All that jail time for possession charges would be non-existent; thus
freeing up floor space and more. It's unlikely to happen though.
Unfortunately, we seem to be stuck with elected officials who invent
more and more ways to help those that don't want it especially with
the help of your deep pockets.

Jayne Siler

Racine