Pelican Bay

* In his Commentary article, “Pelican Bay Is Our Own Devil’s Island” (Dec. 5), Nat Hentoff overlooked one of the chief values of a maximum security prison such as Pelican Bay, with its very tough restrictions on prisoners’ freedom. This is that the threat of being sent there serves to deter dangerous behavior by all other inmates in the state prison system. Thus Pelican Bay’s reputation as a harsh place for commitment results in increased security for both inmates and staff in all other prisons--a benefit which needs to be weighed against the hardships Hentoff discusses.

It is true that many inmates in all our correctional facilities are mentally ill and desperately in need of medical treatment. We need to reconsider California’s misguided decision to close almost all our mental hospitals. These very ill people are released to the public streets daily.

Hentoff feels that taxpayers should know they are financing a system that makes prisoners more dangerous than when they arrive in prison. But we taxpayers should also recognize that mentally ill people are more dangerous without medical help, either in prison or on the streets.

CAROLINE HEYLER

Member, Calif. Department of Corrections

Advisory Committee on Correctional

Education, Los Angeles