. . f 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 • • : • • , 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 ©19l9WOI " - 111111111111111111111111111111111 PRESENTED BY I AMERICAN STATE BANK 2737 NE Union 282-2216 IIIIIIIIIIIIIINIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII We are a family in District 14 Let,sjoin together and vote for @1Z~~ EXODUS @W'~ ~~MJ'~