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Published in the Vacaville Reporter: Thu, May 4, 2000

Curbing inmate's visits isn't going to make prisons safer

Reporter Editor:
Again the California Department of Corrections is going to try and deny visiting for prisoners who are already in prison for long sentences. Why? Has the prison system not taken enough of their privileges away already?

The Department of Corrections has taken away the majority of their lives for being drug abusers and petty criminals with this ridiculous "three strikes, you're out" law that eats away at all taxpayers. Now it wants to punish them some more.

What's left in life if they can't visit with their families?

Many of us don't understand why, when a sentence is given out and it should be a one-time thing, the prison system continually keeps dolling out more punishment.

We understand this will require more guards, increase lockdowns and overtime, but it will also make the guard's jobs more dangerous dealing out this kind of psychological torture. Keeping people from visiting because they see this as a high-risk situation is as ridiculous as it gets.

They are already in prison. Look at the real facts. How many recorded escapes have there really been? This should be looked into by a reliable group of legislators and reporters to really find out what's going on with this imagined "emergency."

The cost of children who can't access their fathers and mothers due to several cell counts per day is even higher than the taxpayer drain, which is also great in this situation.

A public hearing to receive comments about this action is being held at 9 a.m. on May 22 at the Water Resources Auditorium, 1416 Ninth St., Sacramento. Join me and others to strongly object to these proposed regulations.

Judy Reinhold, Santa Monica