THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, August 8, 1994 TAG: 9408040018
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 35 lines
Corrections Department Director Ronald Angelone's digressive, fixed attitude toward corrections or rehabilitation is deplorable. In the recent interview (news, July 17), he never uttered a single word about positive corrections, rehabilitative or social re-entry endeavors. All he seems to care about promoting is staff violence. Mr. Angelone, with his tough-guy personna, wants to appear as the champion of the masses while he turns back the clock several decades.
No doubt the current breed of inmates entering our prisons generally is more disrespectful of authority, more troublesome and lacking in principles or values, but the truly sad story is that constructive incentives of years past are being abandoned and/or denied. Not all inmates are to blame for the problems.
The Department of Corrections already has its share of large, unprofessional and disrespectful so-called corrections officers. Now Mr. Angelone wants to create a one-sided war zone.
Many inmate assaults are officer-provoked. Attitudinal threats against inmates who feel they already have nothing to lose can only promote comeback defensive attitudes and aggressive behavior.
The department's ``warehousing indifference'' is not the answer.
KATHERINE MILTIER
Virginia Beach, July 29, 1994 by CNB