The Baltimore Sun
P.O. Box 1377
501 North Calvert Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21278

Re: "Early prison releases put savings ahead of safety". Editorial, December 3.

To the Editor:

The state prison system is no place for a homicidal child molester with an IQ of 63.

The person ought to have been placed in a maximum-security psychiatric facility such as Clifton T. Perkins at the sentencing level.

As it was, the only "therapy" he probably received over the years was from randomly-selected fellow medium-security prisoners.

Early-release "good time" credits were and are intended as an incentive system such that (primarily) inmates of 85+ IQ stay docile, well-behaved and compliant throughout their terms in prisons where upwards of 7500 state employees and others work around the clock day in and day out.

As for: Correctional Options, Sentencing Commission, Break the Cycle -- the Sun mixed too many apples and oranges and pears and peaches and kumquats in the same editorial.

What happened to the 9-year old in Frederick might well have happened (or will happen) in Harford, Carroll, Talbot, Queen Anne's, Wicomico or Baltimore County only on a deferred basis.

Sincerely,


Nancy Moran
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