Closing Jails

Instead of releasing thousands of criminals, Sheriff Block should look elsewhere to deal with budget cuts. If Block releases these convicted criminals early as he proposes, they will be free to continue to prey on a defenseless population.

Block could save lots of money and keep the convicts in jail by:

* Discontinuing the DUI roadblocks which are of questionable legality. At these roadblocks, thousands of law-abiding motorists are stopped each week and questioned by Block’s deputies.

* Discontinue the practice of breaking into people’s homes to search for marijuana. Many legal questions are raised by these questionable break-ins by deputies. Numerous lawsuits against the Sheriff’s Department have resulted in millions of dollars in payments to victims. The taxpayers have to pay for errors by Block’s department.

ALAN J. CARLAN, Rancho Palos Verdes