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Page 4 Portland Obeerver April 10, 1BI
'Behind the Walls
Dol'id Wn,ltt #J'Jlll6
A.ssistorrt Editor
by Lorry Baktr #Jj01 I
O.S.P. Cor,uponMIII
By Dowd Crowford
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When an inmate of Oreaon State
Penitentiary achieves "minimum
cu"ody" •classification, (is Judpd to
have paid the major pon10n of his bill
to society), there are two places they
arc sent prior to release from CDRC
(Corrections Division Release-
Center). They may be sent to the
"forest camp," which is based on the
Wilson River near Tillamook, or they
are assigned to the "farm annex" five
miles south of the main penitentiary.
"The Annex" as it is lovin1ly
referred to by inmates, is composed
of about 2000 acres of farm and
dairyland. Barns, sheds, related farm
equipment, and the central housina
unit complete the physical make-up of
the facility. The central structure,
built originally in the late nineteenth
century a.s a home for boys, extends
three stories into the air and one
below ground level. Designed for the
needs of fifty to sixty young people,
today it provides shelter, dining need,
recreation of a sort, and little else for
212 men.
When released to the Annex, a man
1s generally assigned to the sheet
shaking crew, labor 26. This much
dreaded but nearly mcvitablc assip,-
mcnts consists of shaking out loose
fecal matter from soiled sheeu. These
sheets arc then sent inside "the walls"
to the laundry, and arc returned to the
State hospital to begin their cycle
agam. As one inmate commented to a
distraught newcomer, "You're lucky
to come through now when it's cold!
You should try it on a hot summer
day ... whcw!"
From Labor 26, assignments arc
made according to ability, needs, and
preference, to one of the 24 other
aews (or to Annex idle, for the lick,
lame, or lazy). Pay usually bcpns at
Sl.00 per clay ... about 161 per hour.
f rom this provinder, an inmate may
buy ciprcttes, coffee, shampoo, en-
wlopel (stamped), an occasional baa
of potato chips or cookies, and other
nece11ities. A aood worker who is
able to obtain a key position may
make as much as $3.00 per day in
time.
The Annex operates a complete
dairy and beef production unit.
About 1450 cattle for both extractions
arc kept on the arounds. Cattle arc
cared for and maintained by inmates,
milked and fed by inmates, medically
cared for with inmate help from the
time the calves arc born until they
reach their ultimate destination ... an
institutional freezer, or a renderina
plant. Milk is extracted, pastueriz.ed
and delivered to its destination by in-
mates. Supervision is adequate, but
minimal.
Production of milk and beef su~
plies state institutions as OSP,
OWCC, OSCI, and OSH with at least
a portion of their needs. Overaaes of
milk arc traded to a local dairy for
other dairy products used by these
aaenaes. In the Iona run, nearly all
Salem area state custodial institutions
depend on these inmate produced
aoods.
Beef is prepared for use at the An-
nex slauahter house. A vocational
training butcher shop is maintained
for beef preparation, giving oppor-
tunity for experience and creditable
education program.
In addition, 71 inmates are bused
from the Annex to satellite shops
along the ed~c of the main peniten-
- All working minors, ages 14-17
must have a valid Oreaon work per-
mit. Applications for the pe1 mit may
be obtained at the Wage and Hour
Division, (1400 S.W. Fifth Street,
Portland) or at most hiah school
campuses or employment offices.
Youth must have proof of age like a
birth certificate, adoption paper, or
other lcaal document (driver's licenses
and pcrmiu arc not acceptable) and a
parent's si111ature for acceptance of
the application.
-- There arc certain occupations
that arc prohibited to youths 14-15.
They include those that involve (but
are not limited to) use or operation of
most power-driven machinery. Tif-
fany says occupations like car-
washina, cashierin1 and scl.lina, office
work, pct care, outdoor maintenance
work of most kinds, child care and
food service jobs arc aood choices for
minors 14 and 15.
-- There arc also occupations
prohibited, for safety reasons, to all
minors under 18. Examples arc
loaaina, minina, work involvina
Asmar Abdul &ifullo, Editor
oko JM W,st 40404
Prison is filled with taboos, the
men and women who live in prison
arc forced to except these taboos as if
they were as common placed as aoinJ
to
the store or drivina a car. What 1
acutions.
mean to say is that the taboos that
Six inmates work to maintain the
exist in society as a whole arc excepted
prison steam heatina plant. A
as common practices in prison. The
areenhouse is maintained and
o~y vi_n ue that means anythina in
operated, employina six more in•
pnson is one's ability to survive and
mates. Many other inmates work at
arow
strona in an atm01phere that in-
positions in the Staff Kitchens (9), the
heren tly weakens normal men and
penitentiary business office (9), and at
women. Prisoners learn that it's far
the motor pool (5). An inmate is also
more
profitable to prac:ticc the vinues
placed in the Curio Shop.
that
brouatu
them to prison than it is
Without inmate cooperation and
10
learn
the
vinues
that will keep them
willin&ncss to "act their hands diny
out of prison.
and work," none of these operation
In essence, prison reinforces the
would be possible. Without staff
neaativc as opposed to reinforcin& the
cooperation and participation, none
positive attributes that men and
of these operations would be available
w~mcn
should take on while servina
for inmates to invest time into con-
prison sentences. If a man (or
structively. That doesn't mean there
woman) lives in a society that
aren't serious inconsistancics or that
progressively leads toward the lower
improvements could not or should
hu~an desires - dcctct - greed - per-
not be made. few of the 212 beds
version - homosexuality - dishonesty
have sprinp that aren't broken. five
as opposed to honesty, then it's vir-
beds have no mattresses at all.
tually impossible for him to come out
Blankets arc non-existent when the
into free society and conduct himself
population nears capacity. There are
m a manner that's normal. "The true
no opportunities for persons
test of ct viliz.ation is, not the census
developina their education to con-
nor the size of the cities, nor the cro~
tinue development while at the An-
- no, but the kind of man the country
nex, and sadly there are no medical
ll~rns out_." (Rolph Waldo Emersorr)
services in residence and no rcaular
It there 1s any validity to this well
available psycholoaical services
known statement then the country as
available, as they are at the main
a whole must begin to take a look at
penitentiary.
the kind of men that are beina turned
From the Annex, an inmate is
out not only in free society but also in
generally sent to CORC or to work
prisons and ghettoes and barrios all
release prior to parole or discharge.
across the country. It's not realistic
Contrary to what many would like to
for the people of this country to view
have the world belicvc ... most men
prisoners or poor people as problems
released on parole make good their
that don't effect the whole society.
aoaJ ..... , don't ever want to sec this
There is just no-way to blot out the
place again." Think about that ...
countless numbers of people that have
been victimized by the silence of the
silent majority.
Public opinion has it that all the
people that arc incarcerated in prison
arc write-offs or people that deserve
power-driven saws, paper-product to be in prison because of the crimes
machinery, meat slicers and others. they've committed while being free.
Tiffany urges parents with questions
about any minor job's safety to caJI
the Wqc and Hour Division.
-- The Waac and Hour Division
publishes a bulletin called "Em-
ployment of Minors" that lists most , I
state requirements for worltina youth,
including permissible working hours,
required waacs, a listing of hazardous
occupations and rest and meal period
requirements.
Any minor or parent with questions
about minor employment in Oreaon
may caJI the Wage and Hour Division
for further information at 229-5750 or
from cities outside Portland, toll free
l-800-4.52-3.503.
tiary. lbe Industries Garqc employs
11 inmates and is responsible for
preparation and detailina of vehicles
sold at state sponsored public
Minors need work permits
It's not too soon to begin in-
vestigating some summer jobs
possibilities for your working aac
children, says Paul Tiffany, Ad-
mm1s1rator of the Bureau of Labor
and Industries' Wage and Hour
Division.
But before you do, here arc a few
things to keep in mind.
Cell Talk
"True, there arc people in pnson that
deserve to be in prison and by all
loaica1 reasoning shouldn't ever be let
out of prison." But why must society
persecute countless numbers of men
and women who actually can be
helped by alternatives to prison or
prison proarams that are desianed to
meet and solve their problems.
Because of the way that our penal
system is desianed the aood is thrown
in with the bad -· the brew 1s then
stirred and brouaht to a boil. All of
the aood qualities of saveable men arc
lost in a rush of vapor and steam
which leaves them naked, defenseless
and ill equipped to deal with the
world they must eventually return to.
The Penal System that c,ust in this
country is beyond a doubt failing. I
believe that it's failing because we've
taken ourselves out of it. We've
designed a system that is very good at
the numbers game and balancina the
books. We've in turn created a
Frankenstein monster that isn't able
to distinauish fire from water and
consequently it either drowns or bums
up everything that comes into contac:t
with it. Outside of counting days on a
calendar there is no way to judge
when a man (or woman) is or isn't
ready for release. The public is
screamina for stiffer laws and lonaer
prison sentences because it doesn't
want to deal with the real implications
of crime in America. This in turn
creates a situation whereby men and
women arc raped by a penal system
that's supposedly designed to prevent
rape. No one wants to be accountable
for the conditions that create crime or
criminals, no one wants to get their
hands diny, everyone expects crime to
be solved by locking away the reac-
tion to a criminal cnv1romcn1. In ac-
tuality, fuel is added to the fire by
allowing a penal system that destroys
men and women rather than repair
them.
Don't be misled by stories or
storytellers that say that there is
anythina good happening in prison .
Prison isn't a place of aoodness nor ii
it a place where men and women will
learn how to be better people. All the
odds arc apinst a man (or woman)
once they've 1one throuah the hell of
incarceration. The odds will continue
to build up apinst the prisoner until
you (the public) act involved in the
processes that determine whether or
not the man and women now con-
fined in institutions will become
productive or non-productive citiz:cns
in the future. If you don't care
enouah to act involved, please don't
be upset if prison keeps turnina out
prisoners instead of free men and
women who arc able to cope and deal
with the ouuidc world.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
A PERSONAL MOMENT
FOR THOSE WHO CARE
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
The wind blows on the moun-
tain and the 1now 11 forced Into
drifts. Each drift protects that
which 11 behind h. The moun-
tain causes the wind to rise and
wild animal, beyond the moun-
tain are sheltered. Many forced
change• are acts of love. Love
does not remain constant, each
of you will force change and
the change may benefit more
than just two.
1
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AMERICAN
STATE
BANK
2737 NE Union
282-2216
IIIIIIIIIIIIIINIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
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Let,sjoin together and vote for
@1Z~~
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1 518 N E KILLINGSWORTH
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PORTLAND. OREGb.N 97211
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284-7997
EXODUS
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drug abuse I A one hour presentation called the
" GREAT DIALOG" reveals the truth about addiction .
This presentation is suitable for school classrooms
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Counselors or any group desiring to know how
alcohol and drug addiction really works.
Call 248-7997 8am to 4:30pm Monday thru Friday.
For
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Committee to elect Harold Williams
~ a Onlham, Tnu; 61211 NE I Ith A"·• Portland 97211