Editor, Gazette-Journal:

On Feb. 20, you published a letter from me asking for an explanation of the number of suspended sentences handed down by our district courts. In the following two weeks, you have published answers to my questions in letters submitted by the Commonwealth’s attorneys for Gloucester and Mathews counties.

I want to thank Ms. Smith and Mr. Bowen for responding to those questions in detail. I think that the citizens of our two counties are better informed by their responses. While most citizens would like to see criminals “do the time for their crime,” it is now much clearer as to why these actions occur.

Richard D. Hill

Grimstead, Va. ...