Prison, school spending are related

To the editor:

I'm writing about your thoughtful guest editorial. "Prison Smarts." I'd like to add that education spending and prison spending go hand-in-hand.

Schools and prisons compete for the same limited tax dollars. Almost always when a state ranks high in prison spending, that state will rank low in school spending.

As an example, Louisiana spends more per capita on prisons than any other state and less per capita than any other state on education.

On the other hand, Minnesota spends the least per capita on prisons and the most per capita on education.

Investment in education is an investment in the future. Money spent on prisons is gone forever -- a complete waste.

KIRK MUSE, Mesa, Ariz.