THERE'S LITTLE JUSTICE IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM

I must respond to all of the controversy about the early
paroles.

My son is an inmate at an Alabama prison, serving a 20-year sentence
for committing robbery with a pair of fingernail clippers.

My son is also a recovering drug addict who up until this arrest had
never been in trouble with the law.

He began doing drugs at the age of 15 after the death of his father.
His drug use continued for 20 years. It started with marijuana and
then went to crack cocaine. Need I say more? The crack cocaine took
control.

He committed the crimes under the total control of crack cocaine,
trying to get more money to buy more crack from drug dealers just like
the ones who are being considered for early parole.

I have been face to face with dealers just like these two guys. I
would be willing to bet that in Mobile and Baldwin counties, I have
been in most of the well-known crack houses to try to find my son and
get him out.

In all of the years that I have been dealing with my son's addic tion,
I can't count on both hands and feet the number of times I have been
to police in Mobile and Baldwin counties and offered, at the risk of
my own safety, to take them to these crack houses so that they could
get these scum off the street. They ignored me, and the dealers kept
on dealing.

My son has a disease. Yes, a disease. That is what any form of
addiction is, and while his crime is classified as a violent crime, he
is not now nor has he ever been a violent person.

He has served 2 years on his 20-year sentence, but because his crime
was classified as a violent crime, he is not among the ones who will
be considered for early parole.

You tell me who is more violent, these drug dealers that are feeding
this stuff to whomever has enough money to buy it, or the unfortunate
ones such as my son and their lives were no longer their own?

There is no justice in the justice system, and the revolving door will
continue to revolve.

CHERYL LEACHMAN

Daphne