Why make the innocent suffer?Our view

Why make the innocent suffer?

Our view

Hill County Sheriff Greg Szudera raised a really good point the other day. Why should the innocent have to suffer because someone has broken the rules that govern our society and has to go to jail?

Szudera wants to start a program to allow nondangerous offenders to leave jail during the day so they can continue to hold down their jobs and meet their financial obligations to their children and others.

The program also will enable employers to keep their staff intact even if a staff member is arrested and convicted of a minor crime. That would save an employer the expensive task of training a new employee to fill a vacant job.

Also, he proposes that those who participate in the work-release program pick up their daily cost of staying at the jail. Thus the taxpayers also will benefit from the sheriff's program.

All Szudera needs to begin the effort is permission from the city judge and justice of the peace. Both have indicated they support the program.

Thank you, Sheriff Szudera, for your good thinking and your willingness to help others, including the people who are sentenced to stay at the county jail.

Since you became sheriff at the beginning of the year, you've demonstrated the ability and the willingness to be a leader for positive change in our community.