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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 12, 1977)
e Portland From behind the wall by Larry Baks Sahan, O.S.P. i Asked Of The Axe: O8P 1. la there a difference between the Black Inmate« at O.8.P. and thoee in other prisons? What advantage« or disadvantages are there for Black« at O.S.P.7 When naked to state my opirion con cerning the difference between the a tti tude« of Black prisoners at Correctional Training Facility (Soledad). California, I find it to be unfair, to rnyaelf. to the Black men here and thoee in California prisons. One cannot aak an incarcerated man to give an opinion of another fellow prison er. To me it's like asking me to judge and I can not bring myself to judge another Black man even when I personally dislike him. Instead of judging attitudes of Black men I would like to atate a few facts concerning the difference in prison con ditions. In doing this I hope to enlighten the readers as to what causes so much frustration, bitterness and resentment towards the establishment here at Ore gon State Prison and at Soledad prison as a personal experience. Keep in mind that prisons have only one main function and it's not to rehabilitate like the establish ment wants society to believe. The only function of a prison is to punish. Each State has its own form of punish ment. First I wil! show you California's then 111 show Oregon's prisons are no more than big businesses with the com modity consisting of human flesh. Like any business there’s a man in charge - in this case it is the warden or in modern terms, the Superintendent. There is a chain of command until you come to the worker, in this case, the prisoner. There are a variety of methods one can use in order to control a large group of men, one is fear and another is pacification. Cal ifornia uses pacification. In return for things like being a good inmate one is ie = Washington. D.C. to very flexible. The majority of its population to Black. The ethnkity status to, 1990 Blacks, five Caucasians, three Chicano«, and two What one fails to realise concerning the native Americans. Consequently, any true definition of confinement, la that it remains inferior. Freedom to an Individ thing moving within their channels are ual's state of mind; in which his acuity to Black sovereign. But, the opportunities are very vast; counseling, that an inmate focused on. M y name to Kenny Anderson, supercedes his askew ways, and motivate 28 years of age; and doing a 7 year his constructive potentialities. As com sentence for armed robbery. I am pared to O.S.P., well, every Black inmate originally the product of Washington, here is cognizably considered ignorant. D.C.’s own ghetto. But, ignorance comes in more than one Generally speaking, the institution in subtle color. allotted certain benefits. By that I mean Back in Washington, D.C., one can be this, if an inmate to assigned to a job and assured of at least receiving qualified in the performance of his assigned duty training, contrary to Oregon. The only he does well he's given all the benefits. benefit an inmate can be reassured of in He to permitted to remain out of his cell O.S.P. to animalistic traits, or infinite until ten-thirty at night, one ten minute periods of incarceration for many debili phone call a week, television in his cell, tating years. I t ’s very deleterious, radio, stereo record player, personal besides being annihilating to a man's clothe« sent from home or bought spirit. through the prison canteen (store), un The time structure to basically the limited visiting list, unlimited visits one same though; but, one can live in reconcil can receive per month, movies once a iations of his optimisms of functioning week, and conjugal visits with legal wife once again in society. I hear that Oregon or immediate family members - just to has a matrix or point system where name a few. Now compare that with the fear meth inmates are adjudged from zero to whatever. Then, if this was the case, you od of control used by Oregon State can believe that inmates are being judged Prison. Here you have only two things - a through speculation, presum ption, battery operated radio and one pair of assumption, and aberration. Consequent street shoes. One works without pay on ly, if one has been convicted of numerous most jobs and if you refuse you more than crimes, whether petty or felonious, his likely go to the hole. A man spends about optimisms are very much a ressurected 14 hours a day in his cell. There are pessimisms because he may never walk limited visits and vtoitng lists, no conjucal on Mars again. visits. In other words you are not In D.C., one has a liberal system and a allowed to do anything unless staff tell law was just handed down requiring that you to. inmates become eligible to transitional I’ve tried to give a brief picture of how releases after completing one-fourth ( 'A) frustrating, resentful and bitter a man can become after serving long periods of of their minimum sentence. But let me reiterate this aspect - there time in Oregon's Prison as compared to are repeaters acts similar to habitual California. . I ’m not saying one is any better than the other because to me as criminal acts. The imperative difference through, to that an inmate can be afforded long as I ’m confined I'll never applaud an opportunity to exist once again in any place which confines human beings society providing that his present per and calls it rehabilitation. To me there isn’t a single solitary place on this earth formance to in the direction of reforma which is worse than a prison cell and as tion. Normally, not too many receive this nemesis unless they have been a typical long as I remain behind these bars I ’ll infidel for profound periods. never think of myself as a prisoner I ’m not at all an expert on this matrix because one is only a prisoner as long as system, but I ’m very far from being a his mind is. novice in this game of chance. The odds are verily against every crook; whether petty or white-collar. I ’ve seen what this system can do to a man; subsequently it broadened my perception and made me see way down the road; and. its not getting any better, so uncross your fingers and unwind that Nazi emblem. We’re all here in this abyss of hell. by Kenny Thursday. May 12. 1677 37245 Rougeau takes Labor post Weldon Rougeau. Legislative Assist ant to U.S. Senator Bennett Johnston, was appointed Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs in the Department of Labor. The announcement was made in Washington b ., *>> Secretary of Labor Ray Marshall. ' — Rougeaia 34wg. native of Lake Charlee,)iC(i Louisiana. will direct the administration of laws requiring firms with federal contracts and subcontracts to provide equal employment opportunities for minorities, women, handicapped workers and Vietnam-era veterans. As a Legislative Assistant to Senator Johnston. Rougeau had responsibilities on the Senate Budget Committee, A fri can affairs, constitutional rights, finance, education, government operations, aging, and minority business. “As secretary of labor," Marshall said, "one of my highest priorities to to strengthen and upgrade the enforcement of the equal employment opportunity Weldon Rougeau programs. The appointment of Weldon Rougeau as the Director of OFCCP to an important step toward accomplishing in Louisiana, Florida, and Georgia during that goal. I am confident that he will give the early 1960’s. the Federal Contract Compliance Pro Rougeau, who was active in the 1960's grams the kind of firm direction that it civil rights movement, was arrested and needs." jailed in December 1961 and January Before joining Senator Johnston's staff 1962 during sit-in demonstrations in Rougeau was an attorney with Simmons Baton Rouge, La., and was expelled from and Aulston, a New Orleans law firm. He Southern University. He subsequently has also served as Director of the received an S.B. degree in Sociology from Citizenship Education Department of the Loyola University (Chicago) in 1967 and a National Urban League; Director of the J.D. degree from Harvard Law School in Voter Education Project of Southern 1972. He and his wife Shirley Ann have Regional Council; and Field Secretary of four children and live in Wheaton, M ary the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) land. Some have weakened, corrupted and become oblivious. But, for thoee who are men, be as you are. This to the enmity of life and the genesis of a resurrected nightmare. Behold! the ones that reject my conten tions are the ones being warehoused without any knowledge of it. Its plain as day and night, but yet, very oblivious to so damn many. A b o u t 7 0 piece« o f w ood ere used to msks e violin. AOZfLL’S Something New by Pete Austin Jr. 39023 Breakfast Served AN Day BLACKS B A N N E D IN OREGON Fair trials have been banned in Oregon for over three hundred years in regard to Blacks. Society says "Not true," we the victims say very true. I have done time in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and California. The worst jails I have ever been in are Oregon, Texas and New Mexico. Oregon is better is one respect, you don't have to fight for your food like an animal. I have never been harrassed anywhere else as much as in this state. I will not elaborate on my personal case, even though if I had been “white”, I would have gotten a better deal. “Wake up” Black people of Oregon! This whole thing has gotten completely out of hand. Look around you out there in the free world. How many families are without their mate? How many more mother's sons, and husbands and fathers are going to be so neatly tucked away here at O.S.P. before you take “Action". I f you only knew. Blacks in Oregon are programmed to stay in their place. Have you noticed that not many Blacks are even downtown except for waiting for a bus. The reason for this is that when you cross the river you are on “white man's land". Blacks are harrassed and even arrested for standing on a corner in downtown Portland. I know. I t has happened to me. I have lived and worked in Oregon for five years and still can't believe what is coming down on Black men and women here. In California where I was born and raised a person is naturally innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In Oregon you are automatically guity if Black and you had better have at least twenty witnesses to prove you are not guilty, and these days that jnight not be enough. Black peoples rights are being violated every day. I must stand up for mine. “Freedom and justice for all,” who are we trying to fool! OPEN 8 :00 a.m. to MIDNIGHT FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE THIS CUPON WORTH 50c ON ANY BREAKFAST ORDER OF 314» OR MORE N.E. UNION AT AINSWORTH ....« Bob Nelson YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED what your property could sell for on the present real estate market. Call Cal or Bob for a market value update. No obligation, of course. Still serviag the community AS THE HOME FOLKS FOR {. 6. Stassens, Inc. Realtors Hollywood Office 288-8871 we help you G R O W .. Workshop discusses energy An up-to-the-minute “Report to the People“ on how the Oregon Legislature is responding to the energy crisis will be presented at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry on Tuesday evening May 17th, at 7:90 p.m. On hand for thia timely presentation will be Dr. Fred Miller. Director of the Oregon Department of Energy (DOE); W alt Pollock. Director of the DOE's Energy Conservation and Resource Dev elopment program; and Margery Harris, a conservation specialist with DOE. The panel report to sponsored by the OM SI Energy Center. The report will focua on bills before the current legislative session which deal with energy conservation and develop ment of energy resources in the atate. The bills touch on three major areas of concern - financing and tax incentives for home weatherization; lighting standards for public buildings; and the development of alternative energy sources, including solar, wind, and geothermal energy. One interesting piece of proposed legislation focuses on biomass conversion, a leaser- known energy alternative. D r. Fred M iller has been Director of Oregon's two-year-old Department of Energy since October, 1976. Before joining DOE, he was a Special Assistant for Transportation Policy Research and Special Studies at the Oregon Depart ment of Transportation. He has also been an economic consultant to the Oregon State Highway Department and manager of the Program Analysis and Economics Services Division of the Department of Transportation. W alter Pollock joined the Department of Energy upon its formation in 1975 and has been responsible for the Energy Conservation and Resource Development program since January of thia year. From 1972 to 1976, he was on the staff of the Oregon Nuclear and Thermal Energy Council, a predecessor to DOE. Margery Harris has been with the Oregon Department of Energy since September 1976. Her responsibility, in part, to to monitor the activities of the Legislature on energy related matters. The “Report to the People" on energy and the 1977 Oregon legislature will take place in OMSI's Main Auditorium on Tuesday evening, May 17. at 7:90 p.m. O M SI Members will be admitted free of charge. There will be a 12 admission fee for non-members, and 61 for students. For further information, call the O M 8I Energy Center, 2484920. Cal Ta Z Your money grows with high interest paid on all savings accounts. 514 % on Passbook Accounts... helping your money grow... just a few of the good things at W ILLAM ETTE fiwugitdSuu» A S S O C IA T IO N *
