Page A4
A p ril 4, 2001
(Elje
j.lortlanh
(©bseruer
LISPS 959-680
Established 1970
STAFF
E d it o r
C h ie f ,
in
P u b l is h e r
Charles H. Washington
E d it o r
Larry J. Jackson, Sr.
B
u s in e s s
M
anager
Gary Ann Taylor
A sst . P ublisher
Michael Leighton
C
E
opy
d it o r
Joy Ramos
C
r e a t iv e
D
ir e c t o r
Robert Parker
4 7 4 7 NE M a r tin L u th e r K in g ,
Jr. B lvd.
P o rtla n d , O R 9 7 2 1 1
5 0 3 -2 8 8 -0 0 3 3
Fax 5 0 3 -2 8 8 -0 0 1 5
e-m ail
n ew s@ p o rtlan d o b serve r.co m
subecdpUon@portlandofaBenerxx)m
a d s @ p o rtlan d o b se rv er.co m
P ostmaster :
Send address changes to
Portland Observer
PO Box 3 1 3 7
Portland, OR 9 7 2 0 8
Periodical Postage
paid in Portland, OR
Subscriptions are
$60.00 per year
D E A D L IN E S
FOR ALL SUBMITTED METERIALS:
ARTICLES:
Monday by 5
p . m .
ADS:
Friday by noon
The Portland Observer welcomes
freelance submissions. M anuscripts
and photographs should be clearly
labeledandw illberetum edifaccom -
panied by a self addressed envelope.
All created design display ads be­
com e the sole property o f the new s­
paper and cannot be used in other
publications or personal usage w ith­
out the written consent ofthe general
manager, unless the client has pur­
chased the com position o f such ad.
© 1996 THE PO R TLA N D O B ­
SERVER ALL RIGHTS RE­
SERVED, REPRODUCTION IN
W HOLEORINPARTW mKRT
PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED.
The Portland O bsen eT-Oregon’s
Oldest Multicultural Publication--isa
m em ber o f the National Newspaper
Association—Founded in 1885, and
The National Advertising Represen­
tative Amalgamated Publishers. Inc,
New York, NY, and The W est Coast
Black Publishers Association • Serv­
ing Portland and Vancouver.
»
1
Support the Equal Protection Voting Act
The N ovem ber, 2000 Presi­
dential election was ri fe with prob­
lems, and often those problem s
resulted in the disenfranchisement
o f ethnic m inority voters. As a
result o f technical and m echani­
cal problem s, as well as voter
intimidation, voter suppression and
voter disfranchisem ent’s tens o f
thousands o f A m ericans were
denied their basic right to cast a
free vote and to have that vote
counted.
In response to these problem s,
C ongressm an John C onyers, D-
Mich. and Sen. C hristopher Dodd,
D -C onn. have introduced the
“ Equal P ro te c tio n o f V oting
Rights A ct.”
This legislation, w hich has the
support o f the N A A C P as well as
the AFL-CIO, the National Coun­
cil o f La Raza and the National
O rganization for W om en, among
others, ensures non-discrim ina-
tory, equal access to the electoral
process for all voters.
Specifically, this bill provides
resources for uniform ed training
o f all poll workers as well as
ensuring that al 1 voting procedures
are the same.
The bill w ould launch an ag­
gressive voter education initiative
so that all potential, new and ex­
isting voters would know how to
make their voices heard as well
as establishing a uniform ed stan­
dard for the utilization o f provi­
sional ballots when voter’s regis­
tration status is at question on
Election Day.
The legislation would also en­
hance the integrity o f absentee
ballots and put system s into place
to m aintain up-to-date voter rolls.
Furtherm ore, the bill would estab­
lish a clear standard for bilingual
ballots for language minorities and
the disabled and the bill provides
the funding necessary to ensure
that all changes and upgrades are
carried out. Lastly, the bill would
require each state to reexam ine,
sim plify and standardize voter re-
enfranchisem ent laws.
This last point is especially im ­
portant to the NAACP, which
has found that m any states cur­
rently use ex-felony offenderdis-
franchisem ent laws as a means
o f keeping people o f color out o f
the voting booth w hether they are
ex-felons or not.
Perhaps m ost im portant, the
legislation calls on the states to
look into voter intim idation, real
and perceived, and to reexam ine
if they are in full com pliance with
the V oting Rights Act o f 1965.
Prison Director Answers Questions on Consolidation
B y P ave C oqk
D irector . O regon D epartment of
P risons
The Oregon Department ofCorrec-
tions is implementing a plan to stream ­
line the w ay w e hold offenders ac­
countable and provide serv ices to meet
their needs. As we implement these
efficiencies, I wanted to take this op­
portunity to provide answers to ques­
tions you may have about the possible
effects o f these changes on inmates
and their families. Correctional pro­
grams are an important part o f the
Oregon prison experience. Alcohol and
drug treatment, addiction treatment,
job training, education and other pro­
grams all help improve the chance that
offenders will become responsible citi­
zens upon release. They also m ake
productive use o f inm ate’s time while
incarcerated. In an effort to ensure that
inmates receive the service they need
while reducing the cost o f delivering
piogram s, the D epartm ent o f Correc­
tions designed a m ore efficient deliv­
ery system. The Inmate M anagem ent
and T ransition S ystem elim inates
costly redundancies by consolidating
programs in the state’s 13 prisons.
Rather than duplicate part-time pro­
grams in every prison, it makes more
sense to fortify the quality and boost
attendance ofm ost program s by offer­
ing them m ore often in fewer prisons.
Each prison will be able to specialize,
capitalizing on what they do best given
their local resources, physical facility,
and custody level.
Prison housing assignm ents are
largely determined by each inm ate’s
incarceration plan. All inmates are
tested w hen they enter the state prison
system and a set o f objectives is laid
out for them to accomplish while incar­
cerated. These plans reach beyond
incarcerated and into the transition
time to the com m unity following re­
lease. Inmates will be transferred among
prisons that offer the program s speci­
fied in their incarceration plans. For
instance, an inmate w ho needs to learn
to read and doesn’t have anyjob skills
will first go to a prison that has Adult
Basic Education program s and then
may transfer to a prison that trains him
in a trade. Then he will likely m ove to.
a prison where he can use those new
skills in a job. The last year o f his
sentence, he will m ove to a prison that
specializes in transition so he can leant
how to succeed upon release.”
Here are the answers to some o f
your questions w e’ve heard:
How is this different?
Up to now, prisons offered a lull
menu o f programs. U nder 1MATS,
prisons will specialize and staff will be
able to provide the best quality pro­
grams. Additionally, space within pris­
ons will be used for programs that fit
w ell with its design and classroom
space will be more fully used.
Are you going to be eliminat­
ing programs?
We d o n ’t think so. Since programs
will be m oved to the m ost appropriate
prisons, it might appear that they have
been discontinued. In actuality, they’ve
been consolidated into fewer locations.
Are inmates going to be able
to access the programs in their
incarceration plans?
Yes. A s w e envision IMATS, if a
program is identified in an inmate’s
incarceration plan, the inmate will be
transferred to a prison that offers that
type o f program.
Are you going to be able to
save money with this new plan?
Yes. W e know that duplicating ser­
vices 13 times across the state is expen­
sive and redundant. The Correctional
Programs Division within the Depart­
ment o f Corrections anticipates sav­
ing approximately $12 million in the
next biennium while providing essen­
tially the same level o f service. This
fresh look at how the department deliv­
ers programs will enable as to continue
to provide necessary programs within
theG ovem or’s recommended budget.
Is there a logical order to the
programs?
Yes. Incarceration plans generally
map out programs that build upon
each other. Adult Basic Education re­
quirements m ust be satisfied before
inmates can pursueaG ED ,for instance,
Inmates m ust be trained in a jo b before
they can be expected to perform that
job, so clearly training would precede
a job assignment.
When an inmate finishes his
education and treatment pro­
grams, is it inevitable that he
will be transferred to Eastern
Oregon to a prison that special­
ize in work programs?
No. Inm ate’s placements are deter­
mined by their incarceration plans.
There are prisons on both sides o f the
Cascades that offer programs, and
there are prisons on both sides o f the
Cascades that provide work opportu­
nities.
Where will you be providing
specific programs?
Some o f the details are still being
worked out, but the prisons will tenta­
tively focus on the following catego­
ries:
Intake and A ssessm ent: Coffee
C reek C o rrectio n al F acility n ear
Wilsonville.
Education: Eastern Oregon Correc­
tional Institution, Pendleton; Oregon
State Penitentiary, Salem; Oregon State
Correctional Institution, Salem; Co­
lumbia River Correctional Institution,
Portland; and South Fork Forest Camp,
Tillamook.
W ork and Training: South Fork;
Tw o Rivers Correctional Institution,
Umatilla; Snake RiverCorrectional In­
stitution, Ontario; Oregon State Peni­
tentiary; and OregonStateCorrectional
Institution.
WoikandReleasePlanning: Santiam
Correctional Institution, Salem; Coffee
CreelqPowderRiverCorrectionalFacil-
ity, Baker City; Shutter Creek Correc­
tional Institution, North Bend; Columbia
River, South Foik; Oregon State Cor­
rectional Institution; and Snake River.
M ental Health: Snake River; O r­
egon State Penitentiary; Oregon State
Correctional Institution; Eastern O r­
egon; and Colum bia River.
Howdoltearamoreabout IMATS?
The Department o f Corrections in­
vites families to provide emotional sup­
port and encouragement to loved ones
who are incarcerated. To learn more, con-
tact by phone, mail ore-mail, your family
member’s prison counselor. If you are
unsure about how to do that, or if you
have other questions o f general concern,
you may contact the Department ofCor-
rectionsat503-945-8877 for assistance.
AFTER FIRE OPEN HOUSE
LDP GRAPHIC DESIGN
Tue-Fri 10 am-4 pm
Sat-Mon and after 4:30 by
appointment only
Corner of Russell and MLK
above the Albina Coffee House
•Receive 15% off any order of $30 or more
And
•Receive an additional 10% off any order placed within 30 days
Walk-in always welcome, 10% discount to all Non-profit organizations,
OAME & LeTip Member discounts, Call fo r more information o r current location
333 NE Russell. Suite 201
Portland. OR 97212
Tel: 503-493-3391
Lauri@ldpgraphicdeslgn.net