PRISON REFORM SHOULD BE STATE'S PRIORITY

To the Editor:

Our third largest state agency is the rapidly growing Department of
Corrections. Unfortunately, the label ''corrections'' conveys the false
impression that some sort of ''correcting'' is going on with these
citizens. My experience over the last three years of visiting prisons and
working with inmates and former inmates is that punishment and imprisonment
are the only two priorities at TDOC. Small wonder we expect 47% more women
and 28% more men to be imprisoned within the next 10 years. Where will this
end? When will prisons be the largest state expense?

But what of the word ''corrections?'' Do we not imply some sort of positive
educational goal here? Then why not have an educator heading the Department
of Corrections? Anything to get us away from the repetitive prison and
punishment mentality which drives our current system. True, there are
violent offenders whom we must incarcerate for our own protection. For this
we hire police and penologists.

But how many people in our prisons are in fact violent offenders? Most
persons in prison simply suffer from low education, poor parenting and
consequent drug use.

For our own moral and fiscal good, we need to refocus the TDOC. I'm for an
educator or a counselor to head the Department of Corrections. Let's get
serious about changing lives.

Tim McDonald

Huntingdon 38344