PENAL SYSTEM

Editor, Times-Union:

Does the government really want to help this recession and the American
people? I understand they do but I personally feel they're going about it
the wrong way. If they really want to help, then they should take a more
scrutinized look into the penal system and the demoralization of drug
addicted persons that fill this system.

The government needs to quit cutting what strengthens our country and that
is: education, health care and family recreational centers. These help
produce strong morals and ethics in our society. They need to start passing
laws to help drug offenders get into treatment centers. By passing laws to
help these people it will recede the vicious cycle of addiction instead of
receding "The Budget." It roughly costs $28,000 a year to warehouse these
people. Add that to the tens of thousands of people incarcerated because of
a man-made substance and you'll come up with a very large figure. How much
do you think treatment will cost?

Let's go a step further. If your pet was sick and you knew what was wrong
with it, you wouldn't take it to an animal shelter to be warehoused, would
you? I think not! You would take it to the veterinarian to get it some
treatment! If you have that much compassion over an animal, why not have
that much for a human?

Why do the courts/government keep sending these diseased, demoralized
addicts to prison to be warehoused to tranquilize their addiction instead
of sending them, "metaphorically speaking," to the veterinarian? Does the
government really want to help the American people?

Actions shall speak louder than words.

Charles F. Robinson I

Winona Lake