Wretched? Here are some ideas for prison reform

In regard to “Tackling overcrowding” in the Jan. 30 newspaper:

According to John Maki, conditions inside state prisons are “wretched.” I didn’t think our prisons were built to resemble vacation resorts.

Where else can you get free food, free housing, free TV, free clothes and laundry? I say, use the prisoners who are there for minor crimes to mow grass along our highways, pick up litter and do community service (with observation, of course). Those who show responsibility and rehabilitation could be released after serving three-fourths of their sentence (no less).

For the hardened criminals (murderers, rapists, those who kill police and children), bring back the death penalty in Illinois. With DNA and other scientific methods used in investigations, there’s been very little or no chance of error in the last 10 years. Currently, there are hundreds of inmates on death row all across the nation and will be for years. Why does it take so long to carry out an execution when the sentence has been given? Let’s do away with so many appeals and the time and money spent in the courts.

We have an empty prison in Thomson; send some of our prisoners there. My wife and I took a tour of the Thomson prison, and a prisoner there would be much better off than our homeless on America’s streets.

It’s time to give more concern to our homeless, so many of whom are veterans who fought for this country. Let’s worry less about the criminals in our prisons who have harmed in terrible ways our fellow men and women. Maybe the accommodations aren’t up to AAA standards, but I ask you, whose fault is that when they’re in prison? Certainly not yours or mine.

P.S. – We also agree with Tom Slothower’s letters.

Note to readers – Don Noble is retired from the U.S. Air Force.