PRISON SPENDING EXPLODES

Inescapable economic realities may yet be the force requiring a more
reasoned, sensible approach to dealing with convicted offenders in Wisconsin.

Former Gov. Thompson, with bipartisan legislative support, embarked years
ago on a program of building prisons of all shapes and descriptions. A
"truth-in-sentencing" law was passed, which increased the numbers in prisons.

This prison construction has been called a desirable growth industry
because of the business and job opportunities it provided.

This combination of helping the economy and being tough on crime was too
good for any politician to criticize.

The lawmakers ignored concerns about the wisdom of creating a gross
overdependence on prisons at the price of diminishing community-based
programming.

They blissfully shut out warnings from even friendly supporters that the
truth-in-sentencing legislation needed to be accompanied by legislation
adjusting downward penalty provisions and establishing sentencing
guidelines to help judges hand out reasonable sentences.

Judge Barland warned the governor four years ago that enacting
truth-in-sentencing alone could very well overload even the expanded prison
capacity at a budget breaking cost.

The question is: "What is to be done in Wisconsin to correct the expensive,
counterproductive mistakes?" Taxpayers' tolerance of this gross misuse of
our resources -- dollar and human -- never ceases to amaze me.

A Leader-Telegram editorial on March 28 titled "It's time for action on
Barland's advice" covers some of the issues, but what will the response be?
I do believe that too many of us are absolutely brain dead on these
important issues.

To paraphrase a famous quotation: "All it takes for the perpetuation of bad
decisions by our elected officials is for responsible individuals to do
nothing."

CONRAD HUTTERLI

Eau Claire