JAIL SPACE WASTED ON NONVIOLENT CRIMINALS

To the Editor:

Though I agree with the concern in Gilbert Martin's July 13 letter,
"Prisons should be for punishment period," he misses a really serious
point by only criticizing expenditures of public money for programs of
social welfare, to reduce crime.

While our politically motivated legal system continues trading on its
use of jail space for nonviolent petty drug offenses, prostitution,
enforcement of adult sexual morality, dead-broke parents and
nonviolent mental illness, the likes of Metro's Mayor Bill Purcell
continue cutting the growth to the jail system's budget.

This social policy has resulted in the need to release dangerously
violent criminal offenders due to the overcrowding of the prisons by
nonviolent offenders. I don't think we can have it both ways.

Perhaps Mr. Martin, is more like me than he realizes. We both don't
like how our money is being spent.

Anthony Gottlieb

Hendersonville 37077