Repeat offenders danger to American society

In order for law abiding citizens to live in a society, criminal elements must be removed from that society for it to function.

This is a lesson that somehow has not gotten across to those who decide what happens to the criminal elements. Recent headlines in The Albany Herald stated that a gang member picked up on murder charges was released from prison in September 2011 after serving six years of a 20-year sentence. Anyone with a little common sense knows that most criminals with serious repeated convictions cannot be rehabilitated, yet they are routinely released, not because they have suddenly reformed, but because the prisons are overcrowded and costs are too high. So back they go into society, where there is a high probability that they will commit more crimes.

As members of our society, we should be outraged that this is being done. It is now so commonplace that we have become accustomed to the new norm and accept that there is not much we can do but adjust to the fact that those in charge are not doing their job to protect law abiding citizens.

At some point, serious changes must be made in the criminal injustice system or we will have to retreat to our homes and hope another home invasion does not occur. It seems that the notion of a fair trial is only for the criminal, not the victims.

There is a way to greatly reduce crime without capital punishment but, unfortunately, society is not yet ready for a radical approach and may wait until it is too late to try something different.

BILL BATES

Albany