Jails And Prisons

A convicted kidnaper who has escaped nine times from prisons and jails around the country was being hunted by authorities Saturday after cutting through the bars of his cell and scaling two fences at the federal penitentiary in Lompoc, authorities said. Russell Hamilton, 34, who was serving a 90-year term, was being sought by about 250 officers from the prison and Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department.

Freed's series on the legal system in Los Angeles is an outstanding piece of journalism. At the same time, it is totally disheartening to those of us who risk our lives to protect the people of Los Angeles. What's the point in chasing an armed robber down a dark alley if he will be out on unsupervised probation in a few months? By their unwillingness to pay for an adequate number of police, prosecutors, public defenders, judges, jails and prisons, the people of Los Angeles are saying that they really don't care if they live in a jungle.

Regarding the May 7 commentary, God save us from the self-appointed lobbyists for the criminal subculture. Like Ellen Geis, the author of the commentary "More Efficient Use of Jails Needed" (May 7), they use any and all issues to argue for reduced penalties for criminals. Now they have the audacity to argue that it is up to the individual citizen to protect himself . . . they claim that government has no responsibility. Well, I assert that the government does have such a responsibility, and, as a law-abiding citizen, I want to see all violent criminals (and most of the others)