I have been working with Cephas/Peaceprints of Buffalo and Rochester, NY for over 40 years, going into Attica Prison every Wednesfor for about 35 of those years. The purpose of the prison visits is to work with men to help them understand what they love on the streets more than their freedom. For those prisoners who finally get it, they really work hard to come to grips with their addiction to prison. I can assure you their addiction is not the soft mattress in their cell or the great food in the prison mess hall. Many of the prisoners earn their GED's and college degrees while in prison, a fact that "burns" some tax payers because they feel that their tax monies are being wasted. I can assure you that your tax monies are not wasted. While studying, the prisoners are challenging their minds and becoming better citizens, which bodes well for them in prison, as well as when they get out. I don't think many in the general public understand that "throwing away the key" is more detrimental to our society than rehabilitation in the long run. Yes, it provides jobs, as prisons are a business, but it leaves many of the inmate's families struggling to survive. Cephas provides a conduit for those families.