From what I read on the subject of capital punishment, it costs$30,000 a year to keep a dangerous person in prison. As aChristian, I hate to see a life taken, but let us look at it inanother way. If someone is put in prison with no possibility ofparole, then he is just a taxpayers’ burden the rest of hislife.

I think anyone born in this great state and country shouldstrive to leave it better or as good as when he came into it and ifhe can’t, then we don’t need him.

Let me estimate a taxpayer with a fairly good job would payabout $3,000 a year in taxes so it would take all of what 10taxpayers would pay to keep just one person in prison. None oftheir tax money would go to schools. parks, etc.

Let’s say the criminal spent 32 years in prison. That would bejust under a million dollars for a body worth about fivedollars.

Now let’s say if we took this money and put two people each infour years of college who would have high moral standards andpeople who could maintain a 3.4 or 3.5 grade point average. If theywould sign a contract to stay in Mississippi, their schooling wouldbe free.

If they leave Mississippi, they would have to pay back the totalspent for their education plus interest. For what it costs to keepone person in prison we’d have 16 college graduates.

Now lets say we have done a good job of selection of thesepeople. Let’s say two of them earn an average one million dollars ayear for their 32-year work span, and let’s say

two more earn a half-million for their 32-year work span and twomore earn a quarter-million for their 32-year work span and 10 earn$75,000 00 for their 32-year work span. Just look at the tax moneythat would be received. And if we have picked people with goodmoral standards, then the families of these people can be sent tocollege with great results expected from them.

What would you like for your tax money to go for? Somewell-educated, fine, upstanding people or a million dollarbody?

Jack Cox,

Monticello