After reading your editorial, Make a Better Prison System a Political Priority, in The Current newspaper Feb. 22, I found the comment you made very upsetting about Sen. Bill Diamond concerning “Tough on Crime” and Tina’s Law.

Let’s go back to the Scott Hewitt case, the trucker who had 68 driving convictions and 23 license suspensions before killing two people on the turnpike, the last one being Tina Turcotte on July 30, 3005. He was driving with a suspended license and under the influence of marijuana at the time of the accident. And, six days after the accident, he drove to his lawyer’s office with an unregistered truck and suspended license. And you say we should consider rehabilitation instead of jail?

Hewitt was just sentenced last week in court to 10 years in jail, with all but 2 1/2 years suspended, four years’ probation (to prove he can be a good boy) and his license was suspended for five years. I don’t think that Scott Hewitt is capable of being rehabilitated, as you suggest, after all these suspensions, killing two people and with such a light sentence.

And you think that legislators like Diamond should be less concerned about how they characterize themselves as tough on crime and more focused on fair and just prison terms for criminals? So we should just slap Hewitt on the hands and rehabilitate him? Hardly, Scott Hewitt is in jail where he belongs, thanks in large part to Sen. Diamond.

This sentence was hardly “Tough on Crime.” It was about time the Legislature took a good look at our justice system to see that this was not justice suited to the crime. Perhaps you should poll the people in Maine to see if the new laws put into effect since Tina Turcotte’s death makes the road safer for everyone.

As the new law states, having three driving suspensions proves you do not deserve to be on the road, and a slap on the hand, or rehabilitation, isn’t going to do it! The outrage of Maine taxpayers and the support given to Sen. Diamond and myself was unanimous and constant for the whole year and one-half Hewitt has been in jail.

The consensus is that the time doesn’t compensate for the crime. I am Tina Turcotte’s mother,, and frankly I think your editorial is not well thought out and a personal attack on Sen. Diamond was not justified. I think you owe Senator Bill Diamond an apology.

TIna’s Laws were watered down by the Legislature in anticipation of what other problems it could create, such as overcrowded jails. But the jails were overcrowded way before the Legislature voted on Tina’s Law. And, if we need more jails to keep people like Hewitt off the roads so he doesn’t kill someone else, or someone in your family, I say, let’s build them.

Have you been reading the numbers of drivers driving with suspended licenses? And that they are five times as likely to get in accidents. Obviously NOT a “Political Priory” to save lives.

I say, thank God for people like Sen. Diamond, who have the integrity to stand up for what they feel is right and just. Just the Legislature doing their job.

Pat LaNigra

Tina Turcotte’s mother

Scarborough

Copy the Story Link