Pubdate: Sun, 09 Nov 2003 Source: Florida Today (Melbourne, FL) Copyright: 2003 Florida Today Contact: http://www.flatoday.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/532 Author: Amy Kreiner MONEY FOR JAILS NOT SPENT WISELY Prisons should be a place for people to be punished -- not for them to get free food, beds and cable TV. The government is spending too much money on items like these when they should be spending it on a way to prevent crimes. Jail should be a place that would prevent people from ever thinking about breaking the laws, because it should be such a horrible place to live. Today, jails are overcrowded with young people, who are growing in number. Why? We do not take the time to teach young people that there is a better way. Instead, they turn to crime through drugs and other means. Jail seems like a bad place, but to some it is not as bad as where they live. Many people live in houses with no air-conditioning or cable TV. Some don't even know when they are going to get another meal. The money we would spend on new prisons and upgrades should be spent on new programs to help people realize their potential and to get them out of jail, improving their lives. We need to show people that crime does not pay and there is a better way. Amy Kreiner, Titusville - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens