To save Washington a lot of money and to do a humane, benevolent thing, our governor should consider commuting the sentences of many of our long-term incarcerated people.

The middle-aged, subdued prisoners are not likely to reoffend. Their crimes were committed many years ago when they were young and foolish, laced with drugs and/or alcohol. Statistics prove that age is the foremost deterrent to crime. Crime is perpetrated mostly by the young. By the ages of 45 through 50, the crime rate is practically zero. So, it is obvious that we are not preventing crime by locking up the elderly.

The cost of incarcerating an individual is about $29,000 per year. As these people grow older and reach the age of 55 years, it is estimated that these costs triple. Should this unnecessary burden of millions of dollars be borne by the already overstrapped taxpayer?

LOWANA KREWSON

Stanwood