The seemingly revolving prison doors for local criminals are no one’s fault but our own.

A series of high-profile, and violent, crimes has caused much frustration among local citizens and even law enforcement officers.

How is it possible, they collectively wonder that a man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit armed robbery could be out on the streets again in less than two years? Earlier this month that man was arrested and charged with being allegedly involved in a murder.

In another case a man who ran from, fought with law enforcement officers and even tried to run over one, was also re-arrested last week after serving only a short time in prison.

Such cases must be extremely difficult for local law enforcement officers.

But we, as citizens, have a voice in the criminal justice system. We can elect judges and district attorneys.

We can also press upon state lawmakers to equip the state’s prison system with sufficient funding and facilities so that a sentence is not arbitrarily lowered due to prison overcrowding.

And, perhaps easiest of all, we can be willing to serve on a jury when called. The system doesn’t work — on many levels — when citizens don’t make it work and don’t help it work.

We can stop the revolving prison doors, but we need to work together to accomplish it.