INMATE KNEW THE RISKS

Couldn't Cynthia Tucker have found about 6,999 better candidates as a focus
for her article than John Bell?

While I am highly sympathetic with Tucker's position, I, and most other
people, have absolutely no use for people who work in corrections and still
do crimes. They know the consequences for themselves when they do it. But
the real harm people such as Bell do is foster bad morale among those of us
who work in corrections and try to do a good job.

Bell exhibited a deplorable inability to shoulder responsibility when he
failed to use protection while having sex. Children should not be
accidental additions to a man's list of bills to pay.

Bell made choices that led him to a position in life that still does not
justify turning to crime for financial reasons. He made a choice to sell
drugs while employed by the system that gave him full knowledge of the
consequences. If anything, his case strongly supports my contention that
knowledge of punishment is no deterrent to crime.

Still, he represents the position of every criminal who gets caught ---
"I'm sorry . . . [that I got caught]."

He is right where he needs to be.

Felton Bohannon