RECOVER PRISONERS, SAVE MONEY, TEAR DOWN PRISONS

I see that Andrew T. Lefevre (Letters, Sept. 10) is pointing out that
relatively minor reductions in the daily cost to house prison inmates
initiated by the organizations he represents did result in annual savings
to the taxpayers of some $66 million. Real money indeed.

This is possible since the current Florida prison population is currently
estimated at a bit over 77,000. The Tallahassee Democrat recently suggested
editorially that through rehabilitation and education, recidivism could be
reduced and a released individual, able to find employment, could have a
chance at a good life.

A program of rehabilitation likely could reduce the prison roster by
10,000, perhaps more. At an annual cost of $18,000, this would save the
taxpayers $180 million plus the cost of maintaining all those prison cells.
Lefevre feels the people of Tallahassee are happy that the prisons keep the
bad guys off the streets. They might be even happier if we could turn a few
of the bad guys into good guys and save $180 million to boot.

We might even be able to tear down a few of Lefevre's prisons.

Harold M. Blessing