Low-risk prisoner should be released

I have a friend, Tom Holl, who is incarcerated at the Idaho State Prison in Orofino.

He has pled quilty to growing marijuana in his mobile home in Hope.

He entered prison on Jan. 23, 2008, and has now served a year and a half for a non-violent crime as a first-time offender.

Tom had never been arrested, for anything other than a traffic violation, until he was 59 years old.

He had worked regularly and paid taxes until he surrendered to begin his sentence.

Idaho’s mandatory sentencing law required he serve at least three years before he is elgible for parole, and it costs the state about $25,000 per year to keep a man who is certain never to offend again.

I think it is a gross misuse of state funds to waste our tax money in this useless way.

I have appealed regularly to the governor to order this man released to resume being a useful member of society, and taxpayer to no avail. I have gone as far as offering to offer to repost the $100,000 bail until the minimium term has expired to assure that he would not re-offend.

I have not even had a response to my offer. Governor Otter has ignored all of my appeals.

I have been told he is a resonable man, but his silence tells another story.

In this time of state budget deficits it would add a small measure of relief to the current strain.

DALE ASTFALK

Hope