THE COSTS OF CRIME

Katy Reckdahl's critique of the "prison-industrial complex" in her article
("Big Picture," April 1) unfortunately looks at only one small part of the
picture. Families of felons are hurt when their loved ones are incarcerated
(whatever the likelihood prisons are teaming with good parents). However,
we must also calculate the benefits to everyone of fewer felons on the
street, not the least of which are the residents of Treme.

Ms. Reckdahl discussed the costs of policing and jailing criminals in
certain areas. Certainly this is a tiny percentage of the cost to
individuals and society from crime. Most career criminals will commit
dozens of crimes during a lifetime. Keeping felons in prison (especially
until middle age when men commit many fewer violent acts) greatly reduces
the number of crimes.

The costs to victims and society resulting from crimes are enormous. The
murder victim leaves orphans to be cared for. Theft increases the costs to
everyone through higher product prices and insurance costs. Can a price
ever reflect the damage done to a victim of rape or child abuse? Perhaps
Ms. Reckdahl should visit the victims of crime and their families when she
writes about the "prison-industrial complex."

From the late 1950s to the early '90s the crime rate stubbornly increased.
This occurred through periods of recession and prosperity. Curiously,
incarceration rates fell during this period. However, since the early '90s,
there has been a dramatic increase in incarceration rates as a result of
reforms like "three strikes" laws. Not surprisingly, this has coincided
with a dramatic decrease in crime throughout the nation. This has been
expensive, but arguably a very wise investment when we think of the
murders, rapes and assaults prevented.

Instead of attacking incarceration, Ms. Reckdahl should have focused her
energy on our pointless and expensive imprisoning of those possessing small
amounts of drugs. By reforming drug laws, we free up lots of prison space
so that we can incarcerate more violent criminals for longer periods of
time. An actual big picture approach takes into account not just the cost
to felons' families but also the benefits to victims' families and, most
importantly, the benefits of fewer crimes to everyone.

Randy Boudreaux