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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 22, 1979)
P ortia nei O bservar Thursday. M a rc h 22, 1979 Paga 5 Behind the Wall Larry Baker »35021. O. S P Corresponden! American State Bank Ju,lus D ‘Sno wden 9390,3 E d,,o r _____ * ‘ The Bank I ha I integration butt! ' ’ 2737 N.E. Union Seldom will you find a group o f convicts willing lo say, "(hank yo u," io a Superinicndcnt o f a state prison. This is especially noteworthy since only a few weeks ago those same pri soners were confined to their cells for a period o f six days with the loss o f their privileges, recreation and hot meals. Lord only knows how many of them made dolls resembling Hoyi C Cupp. Superintendent o f O .S .P ., and stuck them with needles and pins while playing the "V o o d o o " game. Oh! W o w , I can still taste those damn stale sandwiches. What separates the men from the boys in an institution is the fact that they can publicly aknowledge some thing good that someone else has done lor them. So if "T h e M an ’ ’ has a thank you coming, then he is en titled to it. right up front. Hoyt C . C upp recently announced that O .S .P . had been given full insti tutional sanction to a "special in terest class" that two years ago was only an inmate’ s dream. Time and tim e again Cupp has warned the residents o f this in stitution that if he ever received even the slightest hint o f an 'inmate coun cil" being formed, even if it was in the middle o f the night, he would jump right out o f his warm bed. pajamas and all. and come running down here with one purpose in mind. "Everybody is going to the ‘ H ole’ . Wow! T h a t’s not a dream, that’s a nightmare. What type o f a "special interest” class did Cupp sanction? It is called The Class o f Legal Processes. ’ Thirty inmates, whose responsi bility it is to govern themselves, set up their own curriculum designed to learn the basis o f civil, state and fed eral law. The inmate students also have the privilege to invite anyone to their sessions knowledgeable in those fields as a guest lecturer or par ticipant. " I l wasn't until I started attending these sessions and learned how and why some laws were created by our leg islato rs.’ * says C lifto n W ash. " T h a t J a c tu a lly began J o gain respect for them, as well as for what those laws stood fo r." W ho teaches and lectures at these sessions (or the class? Check this out Attorneys, judges, law profes sors. legislators and etc. “ Heck, I had my own sentencing judge come in and lecture on the sen State Representative Jane Cease, and Kathy Pete of W illamette Law School talk to inmate students of the Class of Legal Processes. tencing procedures o f the c o u rt,” said David Crawford. Many o f the inmates in the class have been th ro u gh the c rim in a l justice system many times and will readily admit they still don’t know what went on in the c o u rtro o m before they were sentenced. " M a n , that ain’t nothing,” inter rupted Pete Gongales. “ W e’ ve even had the state's prosecutor in my trial come to class and lecture on legal courtroom procedures." Convicted prisoners being lectured to by judges and district attorneys in side a prison? Makes one question if Keesey’s Academy Award winning film , “ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest" was filmed where? O h, well! Right city, but wrong street. The Class o f Legal Processes goes into its third year o f operation this month and its maximum capacity has increased from ten to thirty students since it originated in March 1979. The classes' popularity has spread throughout the prison population. There are over 100 inmates on a waiting list. The success o f the class cannot be measured by the inmates alone. In cooperation w ith prison o ffic ia ls , many valuable people have helped tie this success together and it now func tions in official capacity with state wide coordinators. N o rth e rn O rego n a re a , Judge Robert E. Jones, Multnomah County C irc u it C o u rt. S ou th ern O regon a re a , D ix ie H a n n o n , A s h la n d , Oregon, (w ife o f State Senator Lenn H a n n o n ). E astern O reg o n a re a . Judge W alt I. Edmonds, Deschutes c o u n ty C irc u it C o u rt. W estern Oregon area, Andy Bugas, Astoria, Oregon, (son o f State Representative Theodore T . Bugas). Oregon’s Legi slative area, Shirley M ead, Salem, Oregon. Together these individuals have c o n trib u te d endless hours volunteering service to help build the class. " I have never been in an environ ment with so many top o fficials, from this state, where you can get to know them as human beings and respect their viewpoints from where they stand. Every Wednesday night I personally look fo rw a rd to these sessions. I think they’re neat,” stated Donald D u ffy . Recently the inmate students had as their guest Phyllis Burke, a law student a tte n d in g N o rth w e s te rn Law School. M s. Burke who has been involved with prison o u t-o f- state educational programs around the country and at present is attempt- ing to obtain a law degree; wants to pass the Oregon Bar Association and practice law in this state, mentioned, "This is the first time I have ever heard o f this type o f a ;lass being established inside o f a p ris o n ’ s walls.” W hat effects have the class Sessions had upon the prison? Since the first class, about 200 inmates have participated in them and only nine have been known to receive any type o f disciplinary infractions while they were students. The class also teaches the inmate to use the legal procedures if having problems with guards or staff when they feel there is no other course o f action open. As one guard pointed out, "now days it’s almost getting to the point where we (guards) have to learn all the civil rights status before we can write a disciplinary report that will stand up in court on these guys. Sometimes I have to go home and practice the ‘quick-draws’ with my pencil to write a man up (disciplinary report), because if I don’t draw fast enough, I can get hit with a grievance report from the inm ate." H .C . Cupp respects this type o f action between inmates and staff in resolving their problems, if there is no more room for discussing their grievances. Learning how to handle th e ir fru s tra tio n s th ro u g h legal channels, instead o f violence, is the most healthful lesson a person can learn in life ,” says Superintendent C upp. C upp has awarded his in stitution with over $20,000 in new law books and materials last year and he expects them to be used. "Unless everything is done in a voluntary nature the class w ill not accept it,” says the inmate class coor dinator. “ Receiving funds or writing a grant for assistance would take the needed human element out o f the sessions. I really respect these elec tiv e , c iv il and p ro fe s s io n a l in dividuals who can drop to this level o f society to help a person under stand what different laws mean and stand fo r. Some day it w ill once again be a way o f life for more than 95V# o f us upon release.” So this is what H oyt C. Cupp is being thanked fo r — opening the doors o f this prison so the residents can learn from the experts ‘ the way o f life .’ 282-2216 We guarantee tomorrow today. Life. Health, Group, and Business Insurance JOHN R. PARIS 700 NE Multnomah. Lloyd 700 Bldg. M00. Portland. OR. 97232. 231-4724 ROSE VILLA CLEANERS f SERVICE b QUALITY MAKE OUR REPUTATION WE DO ALTERATIONS DRAPERY CLEANING SPECIALISTS [FAST - QUALITY DRY CLEANING, Er LAUNDRY SERVICE. 8525 N.E. FREMONT, Mon-Fri 9:30-5:30 - Sat. 9-1 . . . UNION OR COMPANY DENTAL INSURANCE is a valuable asset. . . your health and appearance C O M P L E T E C O O P E R A T IO N ON ALL D E N T A L IN S U R A N C E C L A IM S WE HANDLE ALL THE DETAILS OF COMPLETING YOUR CLAIM FORMS no appointment needed Come in at your convenience PARK FREE — Any Park n Shop Lot HOURS: Weekdays 8:30a.m. to 5p.m . Saturdays 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dr. Jeffrey BRADY, Dentist S.W. 3RD b YAMHILL ST.. PORTLAND. OREGON TAKE ELEVATOR TO 2ND FLOOR 3RD ST. ENTRANCE A Cook's Tour of the Legislature by State Senator Vern Cook By the tim e you read this, the House Tax Plan, the alternative to G overnor A tiy c h ’ s program , has probably been passed by the Oregon House of Representatives and is on the way to the Senate for almost im mediate consideration. The program definitely has broad and bi-partisan support. We outlined the m ajor proposal in our previous column, a 30V# property tax refund o f up lo $800 with similar renter reb ate, the present hom e owner and renter relief on lop o f that for those with income up to $17,500, a rebate o f income tax payments o f about $100 on the average, and an indexing in the income tax to reduce the effects o f inflation. The House plan would be entirely statutory without a need for a vote on a Constitutional amendment. De signed to cover the com ing b i ennium, the first calender year o f operation (1979) would be covered by the law. The measure would be submitted to voters in the May 1980 prim ary election and i f approved would becom e e ffe c tiv e fo r the second calendar year (1 9 8 0 ) and would then become a permanent program for the future, except the income tax indexing which would have to be renewed by the l egislature. Also mandated would be a new method for submitting local govern ment tax levies, affecting all amounts in excess o f the six percent lim ita tion . A fte r voter approval o f an amount equal to the previous year’ s excess above the lim itation, any ad ditional amount could be submitted to the voters only three times. Our Judiciary committee is con tinuing its review o f Rules o f C ivil Procedure, which we expect to com plete by month’s end. Authorized by the *77 Legislature, the new rules will take effect 90 days after the session unless vetoed by the Legislature. They will have significant effects on all litigation. Bills sought by the Support E n forcement Division o f the Attorney G e n e ra l’ s o ffic e , in vo lved w ith collecting child support from non custodial parents, would strengthen the hand o f the state. Utah, with the best U .S. collection record, receives only 11% o f the amounts due. with Oregon at 8 % , one o f the N ation’s leaders. The bill would require notice to the division o f any decree m odifi cation, would make state and federal pensions subject to garnishment, and would extend the long-arm jurisdic tion statute to get at out-of-state fathers o f c h ild re n born out o f wedlock A no th er b ill contains a radical proposal to substitute ad m inistrative procedures fo r court procedures. This would lim it the rights o f individuals involved. A very interesting bill has been the “ Free Speech” Senate Bill 361 which China, farmers luncheon topic At a luncheon hostessed by the Marion County Jane Jefferson Club, ( ongressman Les AuCoin will speak on “ T h e P eo p le's R epublic o f C h in a ." A t 1:30 and 3.30 issues workshops will lake place in which grass roots Democrats and Democra tic Legislators will discuss such issues as " T h e Rising M ilita n c y o f the Am erican F arm er — Justified or N o t? ” and " W h a t Features D o Democrats Wish to see Incorporated into a Legislative Plan?” Each work- I shop discussion w ill be led by a legislator and a member o f the Plat form and Resolutions Committee o f the Democratic Party o f Oregon. A banquet at Putman Center will continue the forum. Organizers have taken care to select buildings with a m inim um o f architectural barriers fo r the elderly and handicapped. R e g is tra tio n and the m o rn in g program will be held in the Collins Legal C enter. A ll Dem ocrats are urged to attend. w o u ld open q u a s i-p u b lic areas. Voiumns o f letters have been received, and the com m ittee is w orking on amendments to remove some objec tions yet retain the rights o f the public to express freedom o f speech in the public areas o f shopping cen ters. T h e c o m m itte e has also been assigned SB 581 which would repeal the 55 mile an hour speed limit and return Oregon to the Basic Rule. The bill, introduced by Judiciary com m ittee, w ill delve at considerable length into the truth or falsity o f claims and charges for and against the bill, relating to lives saved, fuel conserved, and threatened energy shortages. W e hope for at least a cleanup o f the present law to remove the energy speed limit when the fuel shortage ends. Considered at the request o f the C ity o f Portland is a bill to make life harder for pimps (procurers for pro stitution). The testimony o f prosti tutes would be allowed without cor roborating testimony, which is some times required where the witness is a participant in a crime, but which is not universally required. I will also propose making procuration o f Class A instead o f a Class C fe lo n y , thereby increasing the potential sen tence. Portland C ity Commissioner Charles Jordan appeared in support. A lthough the b ill w on’t elim inate prostitution it will surely discourage it. A t the next L egislative R eport Breakfast on Saturday, March 31st, House Speaker Hardy Myers will be the special guest speaker The break fast, starting at 8:00 a .m ., runs for two hours at the M & M Restaurant, 137 N. M ain Avenue in downtown Gresham. The public is urged to a t tend. Senator Bill M cC oy was the special guest on March 17th. I always welcome opinions to help guide me in the Legislature, and the breakfasts are an effective way to convey them. Your letters and cards are likewise always welcome at my office. W rite to me: Senator Vern C ook, S2I I , C apitol, Salem, Oregon 97310. E X O D U S 1518 NE KILLINGSWORTH PORTLAND. OREGON 97211 284 7997 MARCH 1979 On the Season of Spring: Spring is nature's activity of renewed sub stance. On Self-Control: I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over SELF. Aristotle On Self-Reliance: The greatest thing in the world is to know how to be sufficient unto oneself. Montaigne On Reward: The reward of a thing well done is to have done it. Ralph Waldo Emerson r
