LABEL OF FELON IS BALL AND CHAIN

Tommy Pope's drug rehab program is promising and hopefully will help many of
our citizens who have suffered from the clutches of addiction. And I
definitely applaud the work and effort it has taken to set it in action.

However, the program leaves much to be desired, therefore explaining
why it has such a low number of graduates.

The first obstacle: How can a felon pay a weekly sum of $20 and be
employed if nobody will hire a felon? Did you know a felon is
considered the garbage of society? No privileges? Cannot even qualify
for food stamps?

A member of my family began a miserable affair with marijuana when he
was 13, while living in North Carolina. In his late teens he was
stopped on I-77 and arrested after a bag of marijuana was found in his
possession. It exceeded the amount he could have just paid a fine of
$350 for, therefore, he became a felon!

End of story? Not by a long shot! Every place he applies for a job he
receives the same old mantra: "We need you and I want to hire you but
company policy forbids us hiring a felon."

Even though he qualifies in several fields, ranging from medical to
computer repairs, he is a prisoner, without mercy, because our
judicial system and our society are so unforgiving.

Just think of the thousands of felons out there who are young, strong
and have so much to contribute to industry. Such a waste and so sad
because nobody cares enough to change this travesty of justice.

To me, this is shameful.

G.W. Cole

Rock Hill