Dear Editor,

I am responding to L. Ernie Foucault's letter to the editor in the Saturday, May 2, edition of the Times News, titled "Drug-related cases are alarming."Mr. Foucault, were you in attendance at the symposium? Did you ask for a chance to speak your opinion in front of the judges and various represented agencies? Or is your opinion just based on what you read in the Times News?The judges were asking the agencies to provide for them places and programs to help the offenders with their drug or other issues DURING or AFTER they served their sentence in the county correctional facility, not so much in place of. The stated goal is to reduce recidivism.So why are these programs needed? Yes, there is a major drug infestation in the county. But what does society offer people in place of drugs? Where is their sufficient employment to give them pride to work and live rather than do drugs? What are the public schools teaching about life skills? What are the churches teaching about spiritual life skills? What do parents teach their children about becoming mature, self-sustaining adults?This is why people become offenders, then becoming wards of the state. And without hope they become repeaters. These programs are ways to give them hope, wouldn't you agree?So, Mr. Foucault, would you choose to remain part of the problem by pontificating your uninformed opinion? Or would you choose to become part of the solution by volunteering to assist these people in getting their lives together and becoming productive citizens?Sincerely,Scotty MorrisonLehighton