DRUG PROGRAM: WE MUST GIVE INMATES A KEY TO THEIR FUTURE

Critics of the Felony Drug Offender Alternative to Prison program are ready
to jettison a valuable program rather than grapple with the challenge of
making necessary changes. As a former academic teacher in this program, I
have seen positive results in many young men's lives because of the second
chance they received.

On the other hand, we can't expect to have the best results without some
kind of mentoring for participants in the latter phase of the program and
beyond. Most of these young men were raised in very harsh circumstances and
will return to equally harsh conditions upon release.

Without sustainable jobs and steady support in the community, it is
inevitable that many of the participants will return to drug sales as a way
of surviving. Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Add the
post-release mentoring aspect that has been so sorely lacking.

As William Grosshans of the state's Division of Community Corrections
pointed out, it costs $51,000 to house an inmate for two years in a state
prison. It costs less than $19,000 for two years in this program.
Legislators need to do the math. A lot of mentoring, not to mention
continuing academic and vocational training, can be put into place for what
it costs to send a man to prison.

Sandy Sykora, Milwaukee