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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 3, 1985)
Portland Observer, April 3, 1985, Page 11 Volunteers aid families of prison inmates by Robert Lothian Olga Delgado. Concha Castro and tXinna Hunter shivered in front o f a downtown theatre. They were waiting for a ride to Salem to visit relatives in prison. Soon M ary Ellen Ambrose arrived in her Volvo. Hunter loaded a sewing machine she had brought for her son at Oregon State Penitentiary and they were o ff. Because they can’t afford public transportation to Salem (about $25 round trip), Ambrose volunteers to drive the women each Wednesday. Hunter and Ambrose are members o f a support group called "W aiting Outside." The group organizes rides and offers other help to prisoners and their families. “ There's no other way you can do it," said Hunter about the help with rides. Ambrose volunteers because “ I felt that anything I could do to help keep families together would help," she said. Waiting Outside, organized in I983. operates under the umbrella o f the Society o f St. Vincent de Paul. The society provides a Volkswagen van for Sunday trips to Salem. It also provides a telephone, an office, and meeting space for Waiting O ut side. The group meets monthly at the St. Vincent de Paul Center, 2JUK) S.E. Powell. Group members volunteer their time, cars and gas. Rides go to Ore gon State Penitentiary and Oregon State Correctional Institution now, and MacLarcn and Hillcrest schools may soon be included. " W e ’ve got people waiting three weeks just to get a ride,” said Tim Hornbecker, Portland director o f the Society o f St. Vincent de Paul. Hornbecker, who oversees prisoner support activities for the society, was a lay minister at Rocky Butte jail for three years. He continues to visit prisoners at the Justice Center. The free rides often provide “ the only opportunity family members have to see loved ones,” said Horn becker. Studies show a decrease in recidi vism, or prisoners returning to prison, when they are visited at least twice each monlh, he said "W e see the visits as not only hu mane but beneficial to the prison system," said Hornbecker. On a sour note, he said that prison officials have not been very coopera tive with Waiting Outside’s visitation program "Just because someone is in jail doesn’t mean they don’t need a visit.” he said. " W e ’ve forgotten that these jails are houses for people.” " I t ’s the only contact they have with real people," said Hunter, refer ring to the prisoners and family visits. Another woman active in Waiting Outside spoke o f the sense o f loss when a loved one, often a breadwin ner, is sent to prison. Her son is serv ing time at the O .S.P. Tillamtxtk work camp. " I t ’s a hidden thing and these peo ple really need someone to talk to ,” she said about grieving loved ones. "They're really hurting." Not all prisoners arc hardened crim inals and they, too, need support, she said. " I ’ve found that very tough men who have done a lot of had things have some very tender feelings," the said. Linda Fay Hunter, administrative assistant at St. Vincent de Paul, co ordinates the rides. Waiting Outside has helped at least 50 people with tides, mainly wives, mothers, girl- CIA debate (Continued fro m Page I, Column 6) Cuban soldiers. In Nicaragua, the so-called C IA secret war there is "a weak substitute for foreign policy when the public will not support U S . intervention," he said " It doeds not work to fight terror ism with terrorism ," said Schloming. But "not all the actors on the world stage are boy scouts," answered Ste phenson. Democracy is under attack on all sides and faces defeat in a few short decades, according to Stephen son. Covert actions are necessary to defeat democracy's enemies, he said. "W e have to do things we find repugnant. I f we stay pure and clean, then democracy’s fate will be decid ed ." "W ithout secrecy the operations almost certainly will fa il." Stephenson alluded to democracy’s “ inherent weaknesses,” like free speech, vhich allows enemies to or ganize freely. He implied that it might be necessary to destroy democracy a tittle in order to save it. fnends and children from Southeast Portland, she said. " A lot o f them have experienced devastation because o f what has hap pened to them,’’ she said. "They find that it’s not that easy to be a head of household and keep things running smoothly." Hunter said that her work with prisoners’ families often involves helping them with medical and utility bills, counselling and referrals to other agencies. "Some really don’t know where their next meal is coming fro m ," said Hornbecker. “ I t ’s really hard on families." For more information on Wailing Outside, call 2J4-O594 A .M . PRINTING CO. 1463 N.E. Killingsworth Phone: 283-2487 FOR ALL YQUR PRINTING NEEDS I i Í. Members of the "Waiting Outside" prisoner support group shown, from left, are Concha Castro. Olga Delgado. Donna Hunter and Mary Ellen Ambrose. (Photo: Kris A hue her I SAFEWAY Boneless Hams H y g ra d e ’s Extra Fancy 5 To 7 Pound Size, Save Up To $1.0 0 Lb. I I > Office Er Business Letterheads • Business Cards Bulletins • Price Lists • Charts Newsletters • Forms • Flyers Envelopes «ADS PLACED , Fresh Turkeys G rad e “ A ” N atural, M anor House, 10 To 14-Pound H ens 16 To 20-P ound Tom s ’s Eye Cool Whip S A FI W AV C O U P O N Coupon Good 4/3 Thru 4/0/8 5 Regular Or Extra Creamy, 8-0unce Size Orlp-Metlc Or Regular. First Can With Coupon PARKAV Pampe p a p ers Parkay Margarine By Kraft, ■■■ 1-Lb. 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