Prisons shouldn't be luxurious places

I disagree with the opinion-page article ''Why US Prisons Should Keep the Barbells and TV,'' May 2. The nation's prisons are already overcrowded, with more inmates being added daily. Obviously, to have such a great number of criminals, something must be wrong with the judicial process. We allow prisoners the luxuries of television, athletic centers, and counseling facilities to keep them ''occupied.''

We need to make prison as uncomfortable a place as possible. Those who commit crimes should not have an easier life than those who work for a living. Perhaps it is time that we return to the old-time chain gangs. Make the punishment fit the crime.

Amanda Parker, Windsor, Conn.