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Remember that those in prison are still human beings

Re: Former warden recounts abuses in Florida prisons, April 20.

It is like a cool breeze on a hot day to learn that a national commission has convened to take a serious look at abusive practices in our prisons. As a Christian I embrace a compassionate regard for the dignity and worth of every person as a core-value. Consequently, I have become appalled at the indifference toward the plight of inmates. Moreover, I am outraged at the apparent willingness of an increasingly authoritarian and draconian criminal justice system to wink at the culture of corruption that too often characterizes our correctional facilities. In light of these tendencies, the cavalier response offered by Florida Department of Corrections officials to the testimony of former Florida State Prison warden Ron McAndrews is not surprising.

What this article does not address is that mistreatment of prison inmates is allowed to occur primarily because most of the public doesn't really care. Too many take the attitude that "these people broke the law, they deserve what they get" - even if this includes being beaten by guards or raped by other inmates.

What we fail to see is that we have a stereotypical image of incarcerated people fostered by media sensationalism and political rhetoric. While there are a certain number of aberrations, predatory sociopaths from whom society needs to be protected, most inmates are just ordinary people who have become victims of their own poor choices. Many are serving time merely because of a single instance of tragically poor judgment, such as those serving sentences for vehicular homicide or DUI manslaughter. Most others are being punished for crimes that are primarily the result of a long-term pattern of bad decisions stemming from drug or alcohol addiction.

The bottom line is that all of these offenders are still human beings of worth, with families and friends who love them and care what happens to them. I hope that this commission can serve as a vehicle to begin to help the rest of us do the same.

The unbearable cruelty

Re: Former warden recounts abuses in Florida prisons.

Among the people the "national commission on prison safety" heard from last week in Tampa was Jeffrey Scott Hornoff, a former Rhode Island police detective who spent six years in prison before another man confessed to the murder he was imprisoned for. Hornoff said he "frequently heard inmates being beaten by guards in solitary confinement."

A friend of mine, who served time in a Florida prison, told me a few years ago that not only was he beaten by guards when he was in solitary, they also turned his water off so the toilet would not flush for the duration of the time he spent there.

My friend Jon was a very talented carpenter who'd had an abusive mother and spent most of his late teens and 20s in and out of jail. In his 30s he went to PTEC for carpentry and passed the test but could not get a contractor's license because he had been a convicted felon. He worked as a subcontractor for a respected company in the bay area for 15 years. He occasionally suffered debilitating periods of depression.

Last year he got a DUI. When I talked to him during the holidays he said he might end up doing some time for it. A few weeks into the New Year I heard he had committed suicide.

I remembered when he told me his prison stories. Jon had said he would kill himself before he would go back to jail.

Will we ever feel safe again?

Re: Abductions and our children.

I am in my 60s, have had three children grow up and have their own children. I feel blessed that they grew up unharmed by the cruel world out there. I hope that our grandchildren will be able to do the same.

How can anyone harm a child? These sick, perverted people we have living among us that want to take pictures, fondle and rape our children need to be taken off the streets and locked up. If it ever happened to one of my grandchildren I would be outraged and want to really hurt someone for it.

These families that have lost their beautiful daughters - my heart goes out to them. I hope that the laws will change for the better for our children, but it sure won't bring back their daughters. God love them all, and I hope that they will be blessed for all they have gone through.

Whatever happened to unlocked doors and open windows when we felt safe? I can't believe that we have to lock ourselves away to be safe.

Don't let them live among us

I would like to see all sexual predators/perverts/sexual offenders sent to their own place, like an island, where all they can mess with is themselves. Now we have learned that poor little Jessica was not only raped - which is horrendous in itself - but also tied up and possibly buried alive. The people who do these things do not deserve to roam freely among us to pick and choose their next victims. They need to go to their own place, and we need to make sure they get there.

In my ZIP code alone, there are more than 30 sexual offenders of one sort or another. We live in a quiet neighborhood with many children. Why should we have to keep our children indoors or in a fenced-in backyard in order to make sure they are safe? Our society should demand these predators are contained in a place specifically designed for them, far from humanity.

What about the sugar?

Re: New, prettier food pyramid: Will it work? April 20.

The other day I read a very informative article in Men's Health magazine about the influence of lobbyists in the sugar industry and their efforts to ensure sugar is rarely discussed when it comes to governmental dietary recommendations.

Then I read your article regarding nutrition and the new nutritional pyramid and guess what? Not once in your article did you mention sugar. In fact, you quoted a diabetic who was only concerned with "starchy stuff." The fact is too much refined sugar is not healthy and can make you fat, weaken your immune system, and increase your chances for diabetes and other diseases.

It can be found in everything, from the obvious places like sodas, cereals and pastries to the unobvious places like breads, salad dressings and processed foods. You really missed your chance to really dig up a good story. "What about the sugar?"

All the right moves

If newly elected Sen. Mel Martinez keeps bumbling and blaming others, he'll find himself in prime position for a big promotion and maybe even a medal.

[Last modified April 25, 2005, 01:04:14]