Dear Editor,

Congratulations to the Boyle County Detention Center for the indebted and ill for continuing to expand its numbers. Many are now being housed in the recreation area without easy access to restrooms and wash areas. And remember, this costs each of us between $30 and $100 a day per inmate.

Our local criminal justice system seems to enjoy taking those who owe even small amounts of child support and those who can’t pay the for-profit KAP corporation and placing them in jail. Reference for yourself the kycir.org article published this year titled, “Inside Kentucky’s Unregulated Probation Industry.”

Substance abuse is an illness. There can be no real argument against this statement of fact. Does anyone really believe incarceration in and of itself is helpful? How do you feel the so called War on Drugs is going?

There are alternatives. Who will step up and make the change such that we can start saving lives instead of destroying them by throwing people who are sick into jail?

Roger Hartner

Danville