May 22, 2012Dear Sir,Regarding the letter about the Progressive Labour Party giving Government jobs to released criminals rather than to law-abiding Bermudians, I have a suggestion for reducing the $80,000 a year cost of incarcerating them. Our seniors, who I’m sure in the vast majority of cases have done nothing remotely illegal in their entire lives, have to survive on around $1,000 a month as a Government pension. They often have to choose between rent and Belco, food or medications and many are too proud to ask for help, but they survive with smiles. We have provided a pleasure palace at Westgate, one where nobody seems to mind being sent, repeatedly. When a person is convicted of a crime they should be given $1,000 a month to pay for their keep. That includes, security, so they remain safe, rent, power, food and medications where needed.Any luxuries, cable TV for example, that would have to be paid for in the non-institutional worlds, should be paid for by work that benefits the community. Keep them in their cells 23/7 so the number of prison officers can be reduced to the absolute minimum. Make their lives more like the hell they deserve so they don’t want to return there. In these soft liberal days criminals rarely pay for their crime, the victims are rarely considered or compensated and often the criminal shows no remorse apart from the part about getting caught. Why is crime so high in our little island? Because the consequences of breaking the law have no deterrent value whatsoever.STOP CODDLING CRIMINALSPembroke