PUNISHMENT: Make them pay

Americans support capital punishment. Spokesmen for the guilty use endless excuses and devious methods to move trials away from capital punishment into life sentences. “Life” sentences often end up with the guilty being released from prison.

For 11 years, this writer prepared men to leave a maximum security prison at California State Prison, Los Angeles County at Lancaster. In “Pre Release” I dealt with those who, after lengthy prison sentences, were allowed to parole. Among them were those being released from “life” sentences. I saw how they spent their days in prison — “working their cases” to find some way to squirm out of society’s punishment.

The contention that a life behind bars is more abhorrent than capital punishment is absurd. This writer saw the “life” of those who are serving life sentences. From a prison yard, they can see the seasons change, they can watch the birds fly, they can talk to their kids on the phone, they can enjoy so many of the benefits of life — a life denied their victim(s).

Capital punishment works as a deterrent. My “aides” were all lifers. Not a one believed they would never be released to the streets. Were they owed hope after their victim(s) were long since dead? Absolutely not!

RONALD DEADY

Coeur d’Alene