Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 19, 1978)
Pag» 4 I Qbaarvar Thutaday, Octo*>«< 19> b For FREE Family Financial Record Book C a ll. . . Behind the wall Larry Baiter 93502! O .S .P Correspondent In the beginning was the »or< A n d the Word was good. So be it. Behind The Walls. By establishment o f the ‘ Behind the W a ll’ column, many men and women in prisons have spent endless hours with lead pencils, ball-points and reams o f parser scratching out then own individual articles, subjects and poems. It has always been the policy and procedure o f this column to make it a known factor that the opinions ex pressed in any article or poem sub mitted be that o f the writer and does not necessarily express the opinions o f the O .S .P . administration, staff, inmate population, or the Portland Observer Now with that out o f the way. It has suddenly been brought to at tention that the Oregon Prisoners' Legal Services, a L E A A federal fund ed organization stationed in Salem, has not been particularly happy on being exposed o f receiving local fund ing from the Department o f Correc tions. The primary purpose for establishing the federal funds for the Prisoners' Legal Services was to protect any o f the civil rights belonging to prisoners, and their families being abused by prison of ficials. including problems relating to complaints surrounding medical care, visitations, disciplinary , parole hoanngs and religious expressions. The question that was openly ex pressed by ’ Behind the W a ll’ was, how can the attorneys o f the Prisoners’ Legal Services effectively fight any o f the above complaints in state or federal courts against the same agency that is paying their paycheck each month? Many o f the prisoners o f this m- stitution have expressed grave con cern over the issue. Over the past three weeks the PLS staff and attorneys have been swarm ing around this institution trying to convince prisoners that there is no conflict o f interest being displayed by PLS receiving funds from Correc tions. Convincing convicted prisoners is one thing, but trying to convince the Oregon general public is another. Since it is their taxpaying dollars that are being used to pay for the prisoners’ civil rights protection. Another pertinent question that should be explored is PLS’ statement, that they have received nearly 2,000 requests over the past two years since they have been in existence. Just how many o f those requests have been thoroughly in vestigated, taken action on. or resolved? O r is that irrelevant too? In recent years the public has placed a lot o f pressure on our federal agencies to investigate the abusage o f federal allocated funds to service the needs o f unemployed minorities and the indigent in dividuals. Many have been vic timized by agencies that could promote a gift for gab, stacks o f paper and political backing. But the p ro of o f the pudding has always been m the final results. Produce or stop exploiting the taxpayers money behind a cloak o f smooth words and no action Gene B. Mechanic, director o f Prisoners Legal Services readily admits that the American Bar Astzy-iatnin, who previously had provided local funding over the past two years o f its four year funding grant, was not interested in funding his organization any longer, but he did not give the reason, W H Y ? Poetry E dito r Mechanic, stated P LS approached the Oregon Legislative Emergency Board for local funding, and was turned away. But again he did not give the reason why. Is there something being closely hidden from the prisoners by PLS o f why these two reputable associations and board denied their reque«? Are they ’ hip’ to something questionable about the Prisoners' Legal Services credibility and reputation and being the right agency to p ro tea the indigent per sons civil rights? N o. Behind the W a ll' will not be silent by any of Mechanic's organization excuses that would provide the prisoners at O .S .P . with their civil rights. But how does one answer W illie W illiam s, a Black in mate, when he states, “ The Prisoners' Legal Services cannot possibly give effective legal service to a Black prisoner who wishes to bring forth a discrimination complaint against the prison or the Division o f Corrections. Heck, look who pays their salary, plus they have a lilly- white staff. 1 would never refer one o f my Black prison brothers to them for any legal assistance.” W illiam s, a member o f the p a rliamentary committee o f the prisons Black Culture Club con tinued. “ They came to one o f our meetings just recently and tned to give us a snow-job or. what they want ed to do for us. They had two years to do many things to service the Black prisoners, why shoot that mess at us now that the money is tight and the death penalty is on the state ballot. M y question is how much money has Mechanic and his bunch already ’ pocketed' in the name o f prisoners’ civil rights.” There may be some fools behind the walls o f this prison, but we’ re all not. Appointment with the gas chamber Continued from Page 1 Colum n 3) “ When I g a out — in 1216 years - I know I will never commit nother crim e." Rod Addicks is another story He :laims he is innocent o f the murder or which he has been incarcerated or hfe. “ There is no doubt in my nind that if the death penalty had seen in e ffe a in Oregon. 1 would be lead ” .Addicks. who is seeking a release on he basis that another man has ad- nitted the crime, feds no doubt that ns sentencing judge. Judge Dale. *ould have sentenced him to death. “ The attitude o f the judge toward ne and toward my attorney showed ne that they had me pegged as a cold flooded murderer — a man who Killed his business partner for money.” Not fitting the common image of the murderer, Addicks is a college graduate, middle class and white. “ 1 was even a bit conservative before this happened to roe I believed the d istria attorney was supposed to bring about justice. N ow I know there is no justice. Addicks, 37, was convicted o f the murder o f his business partner, James T urel, in Portland. Addicks was convicted along with Dennis Cart- right, who testified against Addicks. Addicks who claims no pan in the murder and no knowledge o f it, maintains that he was framed by law enforcement officials. “ I don’t know the motive — maybe they thought 1 was guilty and arranged the evidence to prove it. But whatever the reason, 1 have been in prison for four years for a crime 1 did not commit — and if there were a death penalty, I would be dead. “ I didn’t think they would arrest me. 1 laughed when they did, it was so ridiculous. 1 didn’t think I would be tried or convicted. But here 1 am. “ I feel sorry fo r all those who are here because they don’t have an education or money for a good at torney. They don’t have a chance.” Although the Parole Board is required to set a release date within six months o f a m an’s imprisonment, the Board has not set a date for A d dicks. “ You are supposed to discuss the crime with them. 1 didn’t commit a crime and 1 wasn't going to say I did, so they didn’t set a date. I'm in here forever.” A man who is a “ cold blooded m urderer" is Floyd Forsberg, 36. Forsberg is a “ professional bank robber" who admits he killed for hire. H e claims that he committed the crime for which Addicks was . . . UNION OR COMPANY DENTAL INSURANCE is a valuable a sse t. . . your health and appearance < 'o M P i.r o : < < m ip l r a t io \ • i \ ALI. I» : \T A I.IN M RANCE CLAIM*» H i H ANIH.E AIJ. THE Il f I AILS tit t OMPl.t 1 IM . l t ) l K CLAIM FORMS N O APPOINTMENT NEEDED Come in of your convenie.nce PARK FREE-Any Park n Shop Lot HOURS: Mcekdavi. H.hla.m ta 5 pro Saturday H9Qa.ro l a i p.i Dr. Jeffrey BRADY, Dentist S H 3RD a y AMHII.i ST . PORTLAND OREGON TA K LM .E S ATO RT0 2NDEMMIR 3RD S I. E M R A M E I PEGGY JOSEPH Julias D. Snowden 939013 conviaed. When Forsberg, who had been at Leavenworth federal prison after the murder, said when he arrived at O .S .P ., he was surprised to meet Dennis C art right, with whom he had committed the crime, and to be told that another man was in prison for Field Underwriter ted the crime. “ But there are some men who should be locked up and never l a out. I ’ m probably one o f th em .” Forsberg says he is a “ professional” bank robber — committing what was at the time the nation’s largest bank robbery and another bank robbery th«’ has been called nearly p e rfe a ’ . “ I spent weeks and somaimes several thousand dollars planning a robbery. There is no way I would have had to kill someone during a robbery. M y two murders were for hire.” I f the death penalty had been in ef fe a for the past 14 years in Oregon two o f these men — who yrt may be released to raise families and lead produaive lives — could be dead. The third — a man who admits he was a hired killer — could be free. NAACP meets The Vancouver Branch of N A A C P will meet the Washington State Hum an Rights Commission at its monthly public education m eaing on Sunday, O a o b e r 22nd at 4:00 p.m . at Pacific First Federal Savings Com m unity Room, 915 Broadway The public is invited. The New York L ife agent in your community is a good person to know. JE VILLA CLEANERS [ SERVICE » QUALITY MAKE OUR REPUTATION WE DO ALTERATIONS DRAPERY CLEANING SPECIALISTS ^FAST - QUALITY DRY CLEANING^ fr LAUNDRY SERVICE. 8625 N.E. FREMONT Mon-Frt • : » * : » - Sat. H BREAKFAST MARIE’S KITCHI Yes. I would like my child(ren) to at tend the Inmates’ Community Liaison Project’s “ Halloween P a rty .” AT ANYTIME « Tuea-Thurs 9:30 a m -* pm — Frl- Sat 9:30 am -330 am — Sun 6:30 am-3 30 pm M y name is:______ M y child’s name is:. Age:--------------------- Name:_____________ Age:--------------------- CLOSED MONDAY! Please return to: C ry o f Love. Inc. Inmates' Com m unity Liaison P ro je a 2303 Fairgrounds Rd. N .E . Salem. Oregon 97303 O r call: 581-0027 SPECIAL CHITTLINGS DAILY 5 2 4 6 N.E. UNION 2 8 7 -9 3 6 3 PORTLAND,ORE. SERVICE COMPANY 'Exquisite Q uality” ILEATHER RECOLORIN VINYUtEPAIR AUTO A FURNITURE Intaraatad In currant book* about African Libaratlon? Visit: JOHN REED BOOK STORE In tha Dakum Building 519 S. W. 3rd Avanua Sixth Root ALSO LEATHER REPAIR WINDSHIELD REPAIR| STRIPING A SIDE MOLDING COMPLETE AUTO TRIM SUNROOF INSTALLATION Or call: 213 N . KILLINGSWORTH 227 2902 his part in it. Forsberg, who had been arrested for escape from a Nevada ja il, had already confessed to the murder o f a Bend woman. “ W hen I met Rod Addicks, and saw him in the visiting room with his fam ily. I decided to tell my part in the crim e," he ex plained. “ I was told by (Chalmers) Jones o f the Parole Board that this will add years to my sentence — 1 won’t g a out until I ’m an old man. " I f they had the death penalty, I don’t know if I would have come forward and confessed. That is one reason why I ’ m opposed to the death penalty. Mistakes can be made, and how many men would come forward to d ear them up if they faced death? “ I f everyone knew that they would be conviaed and the death penalty would come in ninrty days — it might be a deter rant. But with the possibility o f convicting the wrong man and the long delays, it would never work. By the time a man lives twelve years waiting to be executed he’s not the same man who commit 283-5012 The Inmates' Com munity Liaison P ro je a , C ry o f Love. In c., is coor dinating efforts with the Friday night support group to present a Halloween Party for the children o f inmates in the W illam ette Valley area. October 29th. Pringle Park, 1:00-3:30 p.m . Sunday afternoon. There is no publicity about the party and there is no charge. E xtra goodies and help with serving at the party will be welcomed. I f you have fam ily or friends in the Portland area please pass the word. Treats, games and a visit with Pumpkin M an is scheduled. We think it will be an exciting day for the children. I f you would like your children to attend please fill out the slip below and return it to our office as soon as possible. W e want to reach as many children in the W illamette area as possible. Hope to see you at the party! E X O D U 249-8111 S a r u / tf i e a / m e a / ¿ ‘rn/re 1618 N E KILLINGSWORTH PORTLAND. OREGON 97211 284-7997 FACTS OF IM P O R T A N C E VOLUME V OCTOBER 1978 SERIES I Directly, Exodus is working hard to improve the HEALTH, SAFETY and MENTAL OUTLOOK of people living in our community. One indirect result of our work in treating Alcoholism is the reduction of crime and crime potential; while increasing the overall productivity of our community citizens. Hunters! You can SEE, HEAR and THINK clearer WITHOUT Alcohol and Drugs. REGISTER AT: EXODUS 1518 N.E. KilllngsWbrth Portland, Oregon 97211
