Reader Mail

After working in NYS max prisons for most of my 26 yrs ( 8 as Sgt...12 as LT, I can tell you one main problem with prison is that inmates start out with everything and discipline takes it away....slowly. One thing that would make an immediate impact on the system is give new inmates nothing but the bare essentials and slowly give things as time goes on, TV, extra yard rec, phone, food etc. Would you give your children latenight, TV in room, late curfew, IPod, DVD etc all at once? No, good grades, room cleaning, chores earn those things. They grow up responsible and learning that doing what's right gets the prize.