I read Senator Nozzolio's comments on the emerging issue of the increasing rate at which violent felons are being paroled from state prison with interest. (“Nozzolio: Alarming number of prisoners released,” The Citizen, Feb. 22). The senator and his colleagues can certainly be counted upon to review this thoroughly and aggressively and to take all indicated action to protect the public.

In addition to the measures he described in his commentary, there are two other very much related initiatives his committee and his conference should consider undertaking.

New York releases some 26,000 offenders from prison every year. We are only beginning to provide for their safe and successful reintegration into society. President Bush proposed a major federal infusion of resources to support that called the Second Chance Act. This bill is being kept from the president's desk by a single U.S. senator. Fortunately, our senior senator, Chuck Schumer, is a famously influential member of that body. It would help if Senator Nozzolio and his colleagues would call upon Schumer to persuade Senator Jeff Sessions to withdraw his objections.

Second, New York lacks an effective infrastructure to manage community corrections - various types of supervision and re-entry programs at the local level. Utica Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito has sponsored a bill inspired by a system that has been very successful in the conservative law and order state of Texas that would do just that. I would hope that Senator Nozzolio and his committee will give her proposal - Assembly Bill No. 6761 - due consideration.

Terry O'Neill

O'Neill writes from the Constantine Institute in Albany