Parolees Need Better Options

The article about parolees was a real jolt to my system (“Hard Time,” by Solomon Moore, Feb. 4). Why? Because it highlighted a problem that I feel can be remedied. Mark Cook seems like someone who could hold a regular job. Moving these people to skid row only worsens their plight. We should have job possibilities lined up for them, and certainly help them more than was illustrated in your article. In the case of Anthony Bunche, why had his name been purged from the DMV records? Here was someone who was trying to get back in the “system” only to be thrown out again because of a crinkled, photocopied rap sheet. If we are to attempt to rehabilitate these former prisoners, we must treat them with a little more dignity and respect--and, most of all, with a helping hand.

Cecelia Kennelly-Waeschle

Malibu

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Moore’s piece does little to eliminate the prejudicial views of African American men when he presents only African American male parolees in his article. He seems to reinforce the image of African American men as criminals. Are there no white or Asian criminals? African Americans represent [a small portion] of the U.S. population, but are overrepresented in the prison population. Doesn’t this discrepancy suggest something? It cannot be that most African Americans are criminals. A more likely explanation is that African American males are arrested and incarcerated more frequently and more severely than any other group of people. Yet this fact is consistently ignored by journalists. With treatment such as this, no wonder the parolees featured in the article have little hope for their future.

Pamela Leong

Long Beach