GOOD RIDDANCE TO EXCESSIVE SENTENCES

Editor:

The editorial of Jan. 25, "Some discretion returns to judges," was
excellent. Let's hope Congress sits back for a few years to see how
these now-advisory guidelines work in practice before they overreact
with another "fix," later judged to be unconstitutional.

While waiting, consider the tens of thousands of low-level felons,
mostly women, on the receiving end of now-unconstitutional sentences,
especially long because low-level felons usually have no information
to trade for a "downward departure" from the guidelines' sentence range.

If we are a moral, compassionate people, we should not continue to
hold prisoners sentenced to a standard now ruled to be
unconstitutional.

John Chase

Palm Harbor, Fla.