From behind the wall
by Larry
O.S.P. Sal
35021
“There are only two kinds of people in
American prisons: Good Black men i u m I
bad white men. The bad white m e n
include guards and fellow prisoners all Ics >,
and most Black men are in prison fot
being Black."
Ted Mahar, the Oragesdw a
May I t , l i m
On Saturday afternoon. May 7. 19T Z
over a hundred Black prisoners aasen i-
bled on the recreation yard of the Or»«« «
State Penitentiary, for the main purpot w
of discussing steps to protest the confi a e-
ment of Harold Kamick. John Plolite, at id
William Farmer, who earlier in the w ei sk
had been placed in Solitary (The Hole ,).
The three Black men were accused of
having a verbal altercation with a new ly
hired white guard who had a b ru p tly
offended Hamick among his fellotv in
mates by demanding the Hamick sh ut 1 ap.
(during a shower period.)
As told to this Reporter by in itiates
who witnessed the affair, Plolite ar id
Farmer came to Hamick'a defense as fi ve
O.S.P. guards stationed themselves I je-
tween Hamick and the guard but only as
witnesses to how the verbal exchiU tge
began. In doing such all three B 'jx k s
were placed in “The Hole” p ending
investigation.
Many of those «Pack
prisoners who had witnessed the «w ent
did not believe such disiplinary ac tion
was warranted and viewed this tut an
other form of harrassment by pri son
staff.
During the mass Black assembly B lack
prisoners related to others what tha.v had
witnessed and gave their version of the
situation. To protest the mishap, s uch
opinions were suggested from boycot ting
prison assignment - to taking I egal
actions, the legal approach was cho sen.
As this Reporter mingled among the
large gathering of Black prisoners I < ould
not help but admire how orderly and
intelligently the Black leaders in this
prison had constructed the assembl y so
that it would not get out of ha nd •
especially with a subject being as to uchy
as “How to handle past and future* j racial
harrassment by white guards.” C tther
prisons across the United Staton have
had bloodsheds and destruction - i k ich as
Attica.
On the following Tuesday afternoon.
May 10th, the second meeting waa held
in the Activities Department of O.S.P.
between Administration, Captains of the
Guards and Black prisoners to iron out
complaints, grievances and problems
recently shadowing this prison.
From A d m in is tra tio n : H .C .C upp,
Superintendent. J.C. Kenney. Assistant
R.E. Pribble, Director of Security, R.L.
Versteg, Director of Activities.
From Guards Staff: Captain Clayton
Jacbaa, Lt. Harold Whitley, Lt. E.E.
Good. Training Officer, Ed Ban. Among
the Black prisoners were the Coordinator
Ray Charles Maple and his full executive
board of the O.S.P. Black Culture Organ!
cation, which represents the rising
population of over 800 Black inmates
among the 1500 total prison: Dennis
Whitlow, Secretary; Deone Washington,
legal advisor; Charles Williams and Nate
Howard, advisors.
To the surprise of many concerned the
Coordinator. Charles, had invited all
other presidents and coordinators who
make up the entire prison representation
to participate in the open diacussion.
Riley Gardener, (Cycle Club), Charles
Bose (Bible Club). Koi Anttial (Chess
Club), Alvin Hersha (Slot Car Club),
George Haller (High Rollers), Jerry
Albers (Athletic Club), Mike Taggart
(Lifers). Danny Longoria (Chicano Club),
and George Rose (Islamic Faith).
The message Maple immediately pre
sented to the O.S.P. staff was the actions
many of the guards were »-«king against
prisoners within recent months - that it
was no longer a black problem, but an
It was related by Riley Gardener that
there seems to be a movement by certain
guards to create racial disturbances
between Blacks and white inmates. Mike
Taggart told the Administration it was
felt there was a movement by guards to
undermine many of the present prison
procedures. L t. Good explained that his
office had not received ninety-nine
percent of the complaints that were being
voiced at this meeting. M r. Ban assured
the group no such movement of harrass
ment has been adopted in his depart
ment.
Superintendent Cupp called for sug
gestions as to how everyone could start
Aaron Hoary praises AuCoin
Aaron Henry at Mississippi, Cha irman
of the National Rural Housing Cio alition
praised Congressman Leo A u C o in , (D-
Oregon) for Us leadership in g u id in g a
series of rural housing ameiMb menu
through the housing committee « < the
« * . ' House a t Representatives.
Henry said that had it not been 1 or the
persistence and skill of R epresentative
AuCoin in preparing the legis lotion,
discussing it with other memliei rs and
explaining both the need and t i n > desir
ability to the Committee, “we wo u Id have
once again had a housing bill th at was
totally urban in character-one which
completely ignored 75-million r u r a l citi-
sens who suffer an even higher p ercent
age of inadequate housing than d< » those
in urban areas.”
The AuCoin amendments to t he Ad
ministration's Housing and Com munity
Development Act of 1977, would require
the U .8. Department of A griculture's.
Farmers Home Administration (I^ m H A )
to implement several tural prog? ams in
housing which have long been eommon-
plaee in urban programs.
-It would permit rural borrv.wers to
prepay taxes and insurance « i their
homes in the same way banka escrow
such similar payments for otheir home
owners;
I t would require the Fm H A to operate
the rural rent supplement
program
authorised by Congress in !H)74, but
never instituted. Tenants in rxmiiai units
financed by Fm H A would need pay only
25% of their income for rent, with the
balance assumed by Fm HA;
-It institutes a program of compensa
tion for defects in new Fm H A financed
homes, where diligent inspertkm by the
government would have disclosed the
defect before the borrower purchased the
home. (Fm HA may subsequently recover
any cost incurred from the negligent
builder.)
-Makes elderly
and
handicapped
persons and families fully eligible for all
Fm HA housing programs.
Other provisions would establish a
research office within Fm H A to study
problems peculiar to rural housing;
insure that at least 80% of the home-
ownership and rural monies are utilized
for the benefit of low-income families;
extend housing programs to farmworkers
in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands;
and, other technical amendments de
signed to make present programs work
more easily.
Henry, in assessing the future of the
rural amendments said that “the biggest
difficulty has now been overcome and the
Bill will certainly pass the House of
Representatives. The Senate Subcommit
tee on Rural Housing will consider a
similar Bill next week.
I think they
cannot help but be influenced by the
action of the House Committee in adopt
ing the AuCoin Amendments.“
Portland Observer
working together to resolve these in
ternal problems. One of the inmates from
the audience suggested R.E. Pribble be
given full authority to investigate all
serious matters concerning disciplinary
purposes. It was stated that Pribble was
a person feared by many, liked by a few,
but respected by all.
Superintendent
Cupp approved this action.
It was
informed at the meeting, the newly hired
guard had been reassigned to the prison
annex. (He waa the one who told Hamick
to “Shut up".)
Cupp was asked about the Adminix
trations future goals - a move toward
punishment or rehabilitation?
Cupp
explained the public pressure and the
recent crime wave along with new laws
being promoted by the state's legislature
plus the over-crowding at O.S.P. make
programs--for rehabilitation difficult to
promote. He hopes programs assisting
prisoners will continue to exist. J.C.
Kenney added that if another prison is
built it would be a very small one to
handle hardened and uncontrollable
individuals.
This Reporter, at this point, searched
the crowded room for anyone in the
audience from Prison's Inmate T reat
ment Staff, but found none.
The meeting was adjourned on a
smoother avenue than it opened. “Ain’t
No Niggers Here, No More." All these
men were working together to live in
peace and harmony in a city. Behind the
Walls.
From Four Corner's Trinity United
Methodist Church in Salem - Hughe«
Memorial Methodist Church in Albina.
There is unfolding one of the most
beautiful events that I have ever had the
opportunity to report.
Hughes Memorial Methodist Church
once had one of the largest Black church
congregations in Portland, Oregon, out
over the years and due to financial
problems, along with a decrease in
attendance, this church has dwindled
down to a precious few.
Today, Hughes Memorial is in despar-
ate need of funds to keep it’s doors open
and to participate in many of the Albina
community's involvements as it has been
soulfully sung out. Even so fondly that it
touched the hearts of an all white
congregation in Salem, Oregon named
Trinity United Methodist Church on
Elmore Street.
Every year, T rin ity United Methodist
has an offering on Christmas and Easter
Sunday. These offerings are called “Love
(From O.S.P. Correspondent: I wish to
acknowledge the many kind letters
received by the staff and myself on behalf
of 'Behind the Walls'.
We hope to
continue collecting and reporting events
and things which go on at the Oregon
State Penitentiary as we see them.)
1 feel like i'm in a cage,
I feel like an animal.
I feel like i’m in a zoo,
like pets they tell us what to say and what to do.
If i felt like a human.
I'd feel like i was on a stage,
White people come, and white people go.
but for us blacks humph! we never know.
In my cell i look down the highways,
that used to be my life,
and i count on my fingers my days,
the feeling of freedom is subbing like a knife.
Will i ever rise, like the morning sun,
because you see,
you can't close the door on the sun,
but you can on me,
OH! LORD, GOD A LM IG H T Y ,
PLEASE SET M E FREE.
BobN«
.
by Diane Jordan
Women's Prison
CalTs
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Still serving the community
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1
Gas rate conference scheduled
A prehearing conference w ill be held
Friday, May 20 to consider Cascade
Natural Gas Company's request for a 5.6
percent rate increase, according < to Public
U tility Commissioner Charles Davis.
Davis suspended for 6 months effective
May 22 company-proposed schedi ties that
would increase the bill of a typical
residential customer using 84,.P< therms
from 925.32 to $26.49 per monti h.
Cascade, with headquarters in Seattle,
W ashington, serves approx im ately
17,600 customers in northeast ern and
central Oregon, including the cities of
Baker. Hermiston, Bend and Madras.
I f its request were approved, residen
tial rates would increase 4.6 percent,
commercial rates 5.3 percent, and indus
trial rates 6.2 percent.
The increase
would generate an additional $839,371
annually in Oregon.
The conference will be held at 10 a.m.
in Room D, Labor and Industries Building
in Salem. Anyone wishing to be a party
to the case must appear at the conference
and formally say so.
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Paga 9
Caged
Offerings." Monej is raised to support
the needs of others throughout the world.
These needs are turned into projects, and
commissions are contributed to the "Love
Offering” too.
For this year the “Love Offering",
taken on Easter Sunday, referred to as
“30 Pieces of Silver", Trinity United
Memorial had chosen the following pro
ject and the amounts.
1. Methodist Home for the Retired
Senior Citizens in Salem, Oregon $500.
2. A sister church in the Philippine
Islands to help buy a recording machine
toexchaige and spread the gospel (Word
of Jesus) verbally $100.
3. India, to help support an Indian
student through college $300.
Trinity United Methodist heard the
message of an assistant district supervi
sor for the Oregon Methodist Churches,
Bill Walker, a frequent visitor to O.S.P.
and volunteer of many years helping
prisoners behind the walls, state Hughes
Memorial’s financial needs. The church
wants to hire a highly motivated top
Black minister who could take control of
this well known beautiful church that sits
squarely in the middle of Portland's large
Black community, and glory again. The
entire “30 Pieces of Silver” raised last
Easter was pledged.
Over $1000 was contributed. It that
was the end of the report, then this
reporter would write “a nice thing is
happening”, but there's more.
Trinity United Methodist is sending it’s
youth choir to sing and have fellowship
with Hughes Memorial. Along with that
youth choir will go a blind youngster
noted for his guitar folk song playing
throughout the Salem area, and does he
see the color of skin? Now, the event
becomes a beautiful one. The touch of
humanity, physical as well as spiritual.
Quite a few personnel working at
O.S.P. are members of Trinity United
Methodist, including one of the founders
and board members of their Mission’s
Commission.
He has been hanging around here
behind the walls, some twenty-five years.
Who?
John Akins, director of the
counselors. He also has a little worn
Bible in his lower left hand desk drawer,
that has been there just as long as he has
—and it’s Something of Value.
Thursday. May I f . 1977
I
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