Thank you.
We heard some conflicting testimony. Early on in our study, we heard that strong interdiction methods were very intrusive for family members. I was quite surprised, and I disagreed with the premise that family members should not be searched because it didn't make them feel comfortable. We heard that testimony, and then we heard another individual testify that probably the best way to keep drugs out was for families to know that they would be intercepted at the gate.
Mr. Putnam, I'm wondering if you can just speak about your son's experience for a moment where he was pressured to bring drugs in. If he had known that the methods at the gate at the prison were such that there would be no way--there would be dogs, there would be scanners, there would be searches--and he would be able to say to these individuals pressuring him, “Listen, guys, I'm going to get caught, you know what it's like at that place”, would that have stopped him? If he had been sentenced after his parole and if things had gone differently.... Would you agree that strong interdiction methods are a deterrent to bringing drugs in, or are they just a hassle and a problem for family members coming to visit?