MY thanks to Mr Richards, of Highampton, (Letters, July 18) for his reply to my letter about C-FAR. Firstly may I correct him on two points.

I have not ever attacked the villagers of Highampton so sweepingly as he suggests. It is only those few who wilfully ignore the facts of the situation that I have written in about.

Also, I am not jealous of not being able to afford my own home. If I wanted my own house I would give up working in the voluntary sector and get myself a well paid career in the private sector, simple as that.

For your information, I work full-time as a community development worker, providing positive opportunities for those in less fortunate situations than me, mostly in the areas of deprivation where C-FAR's trainees come from, seeing the conditions that lead some people into the life of crime with my own eyes.

Much of my spare time is taken up with being the chair of a local charity, again working (this time unpaid) for the wider benefit of the community. Let me assure you I have no problems at all with making things happen.

In one breath Mr Richards complains about 'criminals living in luxury apartments . . . at tax payers' expense', yet in the next he suggests locking them up under a 'three strikes and you're out' policy.

The facts are this, Sir. C-FAR works, it reduces re-offending rates far more than prison, and at a much lower cost to the tax payer than prison.

Prison does not deter persistent offenders, however much you'd like it to. For a persistent offender it's part of their life.

Believe it or not, by the age of 25 almost one third of our young men have a criminal offence against their name, many of them more than one. If we were to lock up all persistent offenders for life we would soon have too small a workforce left to pay the extra

taxes required.

But why condemn such huge sections of our population to a wasted life in prison when with a little bit of help and care we could see them become positive, caring members of our society?

You need to realise, Mr Richards, that these trainees have not had the stable, loving upbringing and good education that you and I were lucky enough to receive. C-FAR gives these young men the skills, confidence, support and care to become just like you and me.

Finally, as to whether or not anyone else agrees with you, I am sad to say, yes, quite a lot do. You'll be able to find most of them at a Tory Party garden party somewhere near you this summer, where you could join the reactionaries moaning into their champagne and canapés about how unfairly life treats them.

Dave Goodwin

38 Hillfield

South Zeal