Portland observer., February 02, 1978, Page 3, Image 3

Portland Observer Thursday, February 2, 1978 Page 3
From behind the wall
bv Larry Baker,
O.S.P. Corren.tondent
Billy Whitmire, #3»5O7
A m L O.S.P. Correa,toodent
"Court To Weigh Inmate Rights," was their justifications by releasing press
the headline in the Sunday Oregonian on reports with such phrases as "controls,"
“safeguards," and "security measures."
January 22. 1978; written by Stan Fed
ernian, staff writer.
These words aro out of context with
The large well-known article gave a “physical abuse" and “due process."
blow by blow description of how a small
Since the birth of “Behind the Walls,"
young group of dynamic attorneys known almost a year ago, this O.S.P. Correspon
as The Oregon Prisoner's I^egal Project dent has never had any problem getting
helped prison inmates who have re­ his fellow inmates to write on any topic
ceived disciplinary action by alloting fair chosen, but all of a sudden when they
treatment with “due process of law." The were asked to describe their experiences
Oregon Prisoner’s I^egal Project is fund
in “Segregation and Isolation" everything
ed by grants from the Federal l,aw seemed to come to a complete halt. Not
Enforcement Assistance Administration one prisoner who had been there was
and the American Bar Associate .
willing to write one single word...Why?
W hat makes this staff of five attorneys Simple! Because of the fear of retaliation
so dynamic?
In their first year of by the guards, officials, and some even
operation they have processed nearly said by the Parole Board.
1,000 inmate requests for legal assis­
As many of our readers of the “Behind
tance dealing with civil matters and the W alls" have witnessed over the past
inmates' families. That alone is outstand­ year, a column which has not constant
ing.
ly cried "wolf’ to every thing found in
Prior to The Prisoner’s Legal Project O.S.P. and other institutions.
It
many of the inmates had no one to turn has tried to stay with the more positive
to for legal assistance, except a 'jail house and motivating types of events. Because
lawyer or an attorney or two who could there is no use in trying to tear down a
find the time to help answer a legal program or treatment - unless there is
question every now and then. Even if a something better already in the making-
prisoner wants to try to fight his own to replace it with.....
case, by filing a grievance complaint to
But this is one time, O.S.P. prison
the State or Federal Courts, the prison's officials are way out of ;ioeket. Grie­
Law Library is not adequately or effi­ vances and complaints are to be fought in
ciently equipped with up to-date legal a court of law; and not on the front ;tages
materials and books. The Federal Courts of news;ia;ters or attacking dedicated
in the past few years have asked Oregon attorneys who all but volunteer their
prisons to provide these materials, but it services to meet the legal needs of people
took a prisoner's class action suit filed in who have no money or legal knowledge to
Federal Court to even get this problem defend themselves. Sure, the Governor's
recognized. Now at least the problem of prison Ombudsmen can investigate inci­
legal material and books is being address
dents and try to resolve issues within the
ed. But it had to be resolved by “due frame work of the system. But what
process.”
then? They are not attorneys.
Over the past few years more and more
This nation has always prided itself on
civil complaints are beginning to hit “Justice in our Courts," and "Prison
Oregon's Federal District Courts with
Reform" has played a major role in
getting away from slavery.
prison grievances i.e. medical and expert
As long as there are people in Oregon,
mental tests, racial discrimination in
hiring and firing procedures, mail censor
there will be prisons and jails. Within
ing (the list goes on). What makes this so
those prisons and jails the taxpaying
important that all of a sudden another
public will be the determining factors of
Civil Rights complaint has been filed
how prisons should be run or what rules
against O.S.P., Oregon Correctional Insti
and procedures are correct or unjust -
tution, and even MacLaren School for
not the press. Because taxpayers and
Boys. W hat's so important that prison
citizens are found in jury boxes and not
officials all come out quickly to defend
on newspaper stands, television, or radio.
themselves and even start throwing
There will be a Judge to govern rights
insults at these attorneys as being a of all concerned...Prison Reform and
bunch of trouble makers? Was it the fact
Prison Treatment have come too far now
Jhat Oregon's prisons have been lately
to allow denial to any incarcerated person
accused of "physical abuse" of incarcer
"his day in court." The moment the
ated prisoners and denying them the
Oregon Prison tries to deny any of its
"due process" in grievances? Why are pri­ residents such, then we might as well
son officials so readily trying to prepare bring back the death penalty and slavery.
TH E HANGING OF TWO IN THE HOLE
OR
T H E MASTER PLAN
Juliua D. Snowden #38013,
Poetry Editor
in mass force.
Gene B. Mechanic and all of the staff of
the Oregon Prisoner's I^gal Project
should be praised for the job they are
doing in trying to assist Oregon's “social
outcasts with their complaints, since it
has been publicly stated by Stevie Rem
ington, Director of the Oregon Chapter of
the American Civil Liberties Union, that
the A.C.L.U. has neither time nor money
(in many other states the A.C.L.U.
handles most prison complaints).
If O.S.P. has a “Kangaroo Court," as
one prisoner describes O.S.P.'s Hearing
System, it will be either placed in its
rightful order or eliminated altogether by
the class action complaint recently filed
by Oregon Prisoner's Legal Assistance
Project. But whatever it is that places
fear in the eyes of the many prisoners
this O.S.P. Correspondent tried to inter
view about disciplinary procedures and
abuses in isolation, may the truth hurry
up and be known. Fear is the most
dangerous type of treatment known to
mankind; it has been known to self-de
struct any power, such as "control and
safety."
It was very enlightening to read the
statement of Robert J. Watson, the State
of Oregon Correction Division Admini­
strator, "Nothing is written in stone; if
some policy is wrong we will change it."
He realizes there can be abuses in any
system.
This Correspondent must wholeheart
edly reply by stating: “Only time will
tell...only time will tell...only time will
tell."
you suppose a man comes out with,
having not only served a prison term, but
now stripped of the stability and love of
marriage? Likely as not that now will be
your parole violator or repeat offender.
There is another possibility, of course,
and many men take that route. With all
physical desires just as strong as ever
and their normal love mate on the other
side of the wall, they become homosex
uals. Even in our progressive time, it
certainly is much more difficult to reinte
grate a homosexual into society. So again
we find the returnees, back inside,
because they just couldn't adjust.
What can be done? Some members of
the 1977 Oregon House of Representa­
tives believed that one answer would be a
program of conjugal visits, designed to be
both physically and emotionally fulfilling,
and of value in rehabilitative efforts.
Under such a program each inmate
would be visited by his spouse for twelve
hours in a totally private situation.
Modeled on programs already adopted by
many other states (i.e. California, New
York and Mississippi) this program would
have a double benefit. First, it would
tend to keep strong the ties between a
man and wife - making for a more stable
environment upon release. Secondly it
would, as proven where tried, reduce the
amount of homosexual activities in pri­
son. It's a tragic commentary on our
values that the Ways and Means Com­
mittee of the Oregon Legislative killed
this measure by not recommending funds
for it.
Another program that is desperately
needed, besides conjugal visits, is the
availability (if not requirement) of mari­
by Stephen K. Miller #39313
tal counselors. Too often the frustra­
tions, anxieties and misunderstandings of
Almost fifteen hundred men are locked
a shaky marriage are direct causes of the
behind walls at the Oregon State Peni­
criminal acts men commit. So once sent
tentiary, cut-off not only from the society
to prison, the basic rifts widen until the
they wronged but from their wives and
marriage is beyond salvage. With a
children. The only female companionship
marital counselling program we would at
these prisoners can enjoy is a 3*/r hour
least have a chance to examine and if
visit, four times a month, holding hands
possible renew the relationship.
Far
awkwardly across a table in a crowded
better to release a man to a life as a
room. W hat kind of a man is a system
husband and father than as an emotional­
like this destined to produce? What can
ly damaged remnant of a broken mar­
be done to change this?
riage.
The sad truth is that the corrections
The Legislature is beginning interior
system is currently designed to inhibit
work on legislation for 1979. I would urge
the continuance of marriage and family
that the passage of bills calling for the
ties. Too often men loose their wives
institution of a joint conjugal visit/mar -
either because of existing weakness in
• riage counselling program, and its fund
the marriage, or because of the tremen
ing be a priority.
dous rift that can grow between two
people, suddenly kept apart, except for
those visits. What kind of an attitude do
Pandemonium raced non stop as the
lords of fear, force, intimidation, terror
initiated the feeble minded souls of the
condemned in their diabolical plan conceived
from the womb of confusion and control,
nursed on contempt and hate,
A system existing through a marriage
of two pyramids who when joined together
connotes the epitome of E pluribus unum -
one who has assumed knowledge of all,
selfishly maintaining occupancy at the apex
in both worlds
and ignorance is the beginning
of the master plan, sustaining its existence
upon the broad back of fear.
And a solitary figure constituting the realm
of the whole in a farce termed “rehabilitation,”
verbally contesting the brilliancy emanating from
the foundation of a pyramidal world - base to base,
And Justice is blind; the diamond - the omniscent
of all disruption compounding the intracacies
of survival, in a rank and file life, surrounded by
cement walls and steel bars,
While the cry "Man Down”, “Man Down!” rebounding
through corridors in the living dead echos the lie
of “only the strong survive”; so Wild Bilh and Moose
became victims of atrocities in the master plan, and
the beast of both plane applaud the wizardry of
their children -- for every action a reaction - where
does it begin? Where does it end...the Master Plan.
Julius D. Snowden #38013
BECAUSE
Reflecting images jubilantly
Dancing at the door of my mind
As memories of a long forgotten
Yesterday beckon to once more
Become a part of a desite moment
Like imprisoned inhabitants of
The sand your laughter fills the chambers
Rebounding off the walls of my soul, eyes --
My eyes seeing you in a place where there
Is no time or space -- as with the Atom,
And metamorphasis, a change for one,
The other...And you continue to be
As young shoots of green grass
Greets the morning sun, their arms open
Wide accepting its rays of warmth
As enriched elements of the earth ensure
A lasting strength and growth
And you are a moonchild with eyes
Of green, I, your sun, with eyes
Of brown, exist for your conception
As you are for my purpose.
Julius D. Snowden #38013
CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING
Wednesday, February 8,9:30 A.M.
City Hall, 1220 S.W. Fifth Ave.
BUDGET BY NEIGHBORHOOD*
BUDGET BY CATEGORY*
North
2,505,000
Housing
Northeast
2,558,600
Special Projects
3,702,560
Northwest
747,000
Project Improvements
1,551,000
Southeast
4,530,000
Misc. & Indirect Costs
368,840
Southwest
440,000
Downtown
2,000,000
“At Large”
2,796,000
*HCD & All other sources
Administration
10,295,987
2,821,948
Contingency
124,265
*HCD & Al, other sources
VOICE YOUR OPINION
On Wednesday. February 8, at 9 30 am., the Portland City Council will hear testimony of
the Housing and Community Development Fourth Year Program Citizens have partici­
pated in the planning implementation monitoring and evaluation of the program through
the first three years. All interested parties are invited to attend this hearing to submit their
views and proposals
The Housing and Community Development Block Grant Program is conducted by the City
of Portland in conference with Federal Regulations on eligible Activities, Program Manage­
ment, Performance, Standards, Equal Opportunity and Fair Housing, Environmental
Protection, Citizen Participation, Relocation, Federal Wage Standards and other laws and
Regulations imposed by HCD or other Branches of the Federal Government