Proposition 52: Jail Construction

Giari’s letter on Proposition 52, a $495-million bond issue for jail construction, states, “We are being asked to build more jails to house those who are waiting for trial on minor charges.” She apparently believes only people who commit serious crimes or are potentially dangerous should go to jail.

One must ask, “If someone beats you up (a minor crime) and is free to walk the streets the next day, would justice be served?” The gross injustice of this minor crime may become a reality if Prospection 52 is defeated.

As our community cries out to stop crime, we must take the proper steps in controlling it. If we catch criminals and have nowhere to put them, why should we catch them? In order to control crime we must have the proper facilities that are essential to correcting minor criminals before they become major criminals.

We have two choices when confronted with this proposition. The first choice is to spend money for new facilities, which will help to make our system more effective. The second choice is to neglect the building of new facilities, thereby letting our system deteriorate. I prefer the former.

JOE EWENS

San Dimas