Letter: Young People Used to Survive Bad Judgment
Candace Swain
May 22, 2008
Tallahassee Democrat
Re: "Hysteria and blame replaced mourning" (My View, May 17).
The "My View" of defense attorney Jeremy Cohen reeks of propaganda. Defense attorneys generally oppose the position of the state. Is there a better paying slot opening in the prosecuting attorney's office? Would Mr. Cohen have advised Rachel Hoffman to do the deal? There was no hysteria, there was outrage.
In my day, we survived our mistakes. In today's world, we cut vast amounts of money from rehabilitation yet find money to build prisons.
Until we place more emphasis on behavioral rehabilitation and counseling, and less on the vast amount of revenue generated by the prison industrial complex, more lives will be wasted.
Until the gateway drug alcohol is prohibited, America's stance of zero tolerance is nothing more than pick-and-choose.
Candace Swain | 
