New York Times Leader

The lead story in today’s New York Times is titled, “Mexico’s Drug Traffickers Continue Trade in Prison.” It provides a shocking account of how drug kingpins are able to continue their criminal enterprises by using prisons as a base of operations. Its details of corruption, by both the guards and the inmates, is shocking in comparison to the situation of the same class of prisoners in U.S. jails.

Leaders of drug cartels imprisoned in Mexico are able to use banned cell phones and prisoners due to be released as  a lifeline to the outside world. The small number of cells available for maximum security are overcrowded and no longer of any use. Due to corruption by the guards, inmates are able to enjoy big screen TVs, prostitutes and nearly anything else they wish. A recent escape used fake police uniforms, fake police cars and even a helicopter.

Currently, the Mexican government is extraditing the worst of the worst to the United States, and this new trend is encouraging. They have also created a new training program for guards to try and prevent corruption.

In my opinion, even though the situation seems to be getting a little better, we need to be aware of the problems with the Mexican penal system because of its direct effect on the drugs flowing into the United States. We should continue to encourage extradition as well as prosecution of Mexican guards suspected of corruption. Instead of worrying about training troops in Iraq, maybe we need to be a little more cognizant of this perilous situation right on our own border.