Because of Governor Ridges' parole Board policies of turning down inmates, again and again, who are eligible and deserving of being released on parole and his unwillingness to commute a single lifer's sentence, more and more inmates are feeling hopeless and desperate. Abraham Lincoln said, "when you extinguish hope, you breed desperation." My point is evident with the recent escapes of Norman Johnston from Huntingdon and Michael McCloskey and Anthony Yang from Dallas.

Governors are supposed to have compassion for the least of those whom they govern, but Governor Ridge hasn't found enough compassion in his heart to commute a single lifer's sentence in almost six years of being in office. Yet Mr. Ridge wants to run as vice-president on the ticket with presidential hopeful George W. Bush, Jr., who is running on a campaign slogan of "compassionate conservatism." Isn't it hypocritical?

In contrast to Governor Ridge's lack of compassion, which has increased the tax burden on Pennsylvania by cramming prisons full to the bursting point and also is responsible for the recent escapes that occurred at State Correctional Institution at Dallas in that Corrections Secretary, Mr. Martin Horn, made the decision in 1996 to leave the watchtowers unmanned. Let us consider the wiser and more humane approach of former Governor Milton Shapp.

Mr. Shapp carefully assessed the eligibility of 766 prisoners serving life sentences during his term in office, and he decided to release 317 of those men. Of those 317 lifers only 9 of them ever faced criminal charges again, and only 7 were returned to prison again - a success ratio of 98 percent. Moreover, since the inception of the commutation system in Pennsylvania, only two pardoned lifers committed murder again. No other group of offenders has such a low recidivism rate.

To date Pennsylvania has approximately 3,283 lifers. Instead of Governor Ridge endangering public safety with unmanned watchtowers to save $250,000 per year, he could ultimately save millions of taxpayers' dollars by meticulously screening and commuting a few deserving lifers' sentences. There has to be at least one fit lifer, or such a large number, who is suitable for commutation. Isn't it ironical that Governor Ridge can find enough sternness in his heart to execute a prisoner, but can't find enough compassion in his heart to pardon one deserving lifer's sentence?