Does it make sense to put a person convicted of a white-collar crime in jail? The cost per prisoner is about $35,000 per year.

Take the case of Paul Violette. If he gets a sentence of five years, the cost would total some $175,000. It would be much better for everyone if he were sentenced to partial house arrest and made to do community service.

That way, everybody would gain.

Robert Poisson, Lewiston