"We've got to get smart about who needs all that expensive steel and concrete and security," Mr. Tonkovich said, adding there are more meaningful punishments for nonviolent, non-career criminals.

The Clinton Administration has recently told Senate leaders in considerable detail that it has no intention of imposing meaningful punishment on treaty violators.

Unless people who are arrested for selling drugs receive some meaningful punishment, you are going to encourage other people to sell drugs.

Q. What do you mean by meaningful punishment?

We have seen many mandatory jail sentences written into law because of public feeling that judges are too lax in applying meaningful punishment.

The Iranians have expressed confidence that the international community is too divided to impose any meaningful punishment, and even if it did, Iran would be ready to suffer the consequences.

Too often, these lesser offenders simply "walk" - get off with no meaningful punishment.

What might even be funnier, and more useful, is for Rodman finally to receive a meaningful punishment.

If you have peer involvement not only will people learn about the system and take it seriously, they'll also have to do meaningful punishment decided by their peers.

Iran is gambling that the 15 members, who plan to take up the Iranian dossier this week for the first time, will be too divided to inflict meaningful punishment.