Now that Rita Crundwell has pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud charge, there will be speculation about how much prison time she should serve. I say, None. Instead, I would sentence her to a lifetime of gainful employment.

I’m sure she has a few friends in the horse industry who would still hire her. As part of her sentence, I would let her keep enough of her wages to live just above the poverty level so she can’t apply for benefits and have the people of Dixon continue to support her. The balance of her paycheck should be turned over to the city of Dixon.

This way, she will be making restitution for the rest of her life, and we won’t continue to support her in the prison system.