Four weeks ago I wrote about a visit to the Central MississippiCorrectional Facility in Pearl and some unpleasant things Iwitnessed.

Since then, it seems, some at the prison and some with lovedones there have come to believe I have taken on the cause of prisonreform in Mississippi.

Not so.

I do admit that I am torn by this issue and some of the thingsI’ve read, heard and seen in recent weeks.

First and foremost I believe those who are justly convicted ofcrimes should ‘pay their debt to society’ either by serving timebehind bars, paying fines and court costs or doing communityservice work. In some cases, all three would be appropriate.

When I first visited my friend at CMCF, she complained about thelack of air conditioning and the poor quality of the food.

I reminded her that it’s prison, not a picnic, and that if shehadn’t broken the law she wouldn’t be there in the first place.

“Yes, I am a criminal,” she said to me, “but I am still a humanbeing.”

Good point.

Among the top complaints among the inmates I’ve talked to or theones who’ve written to me is how they are treated by the guards. Asone told me after reading my column, “If they treated you likethat, imagine how they treat us.”

One female guard, I am told, who works in the CMCF cafeteria,beckons inmates with “C’mon you b——. Eat this s— before Ithrow it in your god—- faces.”

I would hope that if this is, in fact, happening, the properauthorities will put an end to it.

Another complaint, which absolutely infuriates me, is how dirtythe inmates’ living area is. If nothing else, a prison should bethe cleanest place on God’s green earth. Apparently, the inmatesare not allowed access to cleaning supplies. Some, I am told, wouldlove to do the work to help pass the time.

Work is another issue.

My friend is a school teacher. She was told that after she wasclassified (as to security, etc.), she would be teaching.Classification is a big step for inmates. They are not allowed tohave visitors, not allowed to go to the library or do much ofanything until they are ‘striped out.’ As my friend put it, “wetwiddle our thumbs.”

Her classification process took over seven weeks.

That’s seven weeks she could have been helping somebody learn toread or write or pass the GED. Next week she will be released, sonow there’s no time for teaching.

Some letters I’ve received touch on other issues such as poormedical care and high prices at the prison canteen. Various groupsaround the state are looking into these issues and others.

There’s not much to like about prison, and I think that’s theway it’s supposed to be.

Yet, the state of Mississippi is paying a fortune to operate itsprison system — an average of $37.19 per inmate per day for fiscalyear 2002. That added up to $262,272,849. Of that, $120,572,508 –or 45 percent — was spent on salaries.

I’m not convinced we’re getting our money’s worth.

Write to Nanette Laster at P.O. Box 551 Brookhaven, Miss.39602, or send e-mail to news@dailyleader.com.