xt71ns0kwj3t https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dipstest/xt71ns0kwj3t/data/mets.xml  Kentucky  1963 newsletters  English Eddyville, Ky.: Kentucky State Penitentiary  This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed. Permission must be received for subsequent distribution in print or electronically. Physical rights are retained by the owning repository. Copyright is retained in accordance with U. S. copyright laws. Please go to https://exploreuk.uky.edu for more information. Castle on the Cumberland Kentucky State Penitentiary -- Periodicals Journalism, Prison -- Kentucky Castle on the Cumberland, February 1963 text Kentucky State Penitentiary v.: ill. 28 cm. Call Numbers HV8301 .C37 and 17-C817 20:C279 Castle on the Cumberland, February 1963 1963 1963 2021 true xt71ns0kwj3t section xt71ns0kwj3t  

 

 

 

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Volume II fiihLfi9'1 Number VIII

 

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volume II, Number VIII ' February 15, 1963

 

CASTLE ON THE CIMBERLAND

 

AHVIINIS TRA‘I' ION
The Honorable Bert T. Combs, Governor

Wilson W. wyatt, Lt. Governor

.‘W. C. Oakley, Commissioner Dr. Harold Black, Director
Department of Corrections Div. Of Institutions, Dept. oi Corr.
Marshall Swain, Deputy Commissioner W. 2. Carter, Director of Education
Department of Corrections Department of Corrections

PRISD N ADMI NISTRATION
Luther Thomas, warden Lloyd T. Armstrong, Deputy'warden
Kathlyn.0rdway, Business Manager W. T. Baxter, Guard Captain
Reverend Paul Jaggers, Chaplain_
Henry'B. Cowan, Educational Supervisor
William Egbert, Vocational Instructor

BOARD OF'PARDDNS & PAROEES

 

Dr. Fred Moffatt, Executive Director waiter Ferguson, Board Chairman
Simeon Willis, Member Ernest Thompson, Member

CASTLE STAFF
Lawrence Snow, Editor ' Leonard Rule, Associate Editor

Stanley Brawner, Lithographer

 

 

The CASTLE ON THE CUMBERLAND is published monthly by the inmates of the Kentucky
State Penitentiary at Eddyville. Subscriptions, one dollar a year, payable by
money order at: CASTLE ON THE CUMBERLAND, Box 128, Eddyville, Kentucky; and by
inmates at the Chief Clerk's Office. Articles are solicited, but the CASTLE re-
serves the right to reject, edit or revise any material submitted. Opinions ex—
pressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the administration.
Permission is hereby granted to reproduce any part of this magazine, provided
proper credit is given to author and spurce. A marked copy of the quoting pub~
lication is appreciated.

 

 

 

  

 

WIFE

 

EM? $3 W 68 Pl @313

 

By Lloyd T. Armstrong, Deputy warden

 

The following are some questions that have been asked me during the past few
months, and I thought I would take this opportunity to answer them:

Q. Why are there more white than col-
ored inmates in the Kentucky State Peni-
tentiary?

population of Ken-
few more white

A. Because in the
tucky there are quite a
than colored residents.

Q. Why is it that there are fewer
colored inmates in your institution
today than there were ten years ago?

A. Because more colored peeple have
moved north and to other states seeking
factory work etc.

Q. Do we H
capes among the white
colored population?

have proportionately more es-
than among the
A. Yes, I think so.

colored or
prison viola-

Q. In which population,
white, do you have more
tions?

A. About the same according to populau
tion.

Q. Which are the easier to handle, col-
ored or white inmates?

A. I would say about the same, except
that the colored seem to have a tendency
to be noisier.

Q. Which do better work, white or col-
ored inmates?

A. I would say about the
lot depends on the type
V0 le0

same. But a
of work in-

Q. Which participate more in athletics?

A. Colored.

Q. Among which race do you have the

most illiteracy?

A. I would say about 50-50 according to
the population.

Q. Which learn faster in your school?
A. I would say the whites learn a lite
tle faster than the colored.
do you have the

Q. In which population
most disease?

A. I would say about 50-50 according to
the population.

Q. What about the dental problem?

A. I would say the whites have a ten”
dency to take care of their teeth better
than the colored.

Q. Why is it that most colored people
have a tendency to have bad feet?

A. I do not know how to answer this
question, but I do agree that there are
more problems-with bad feet in the col»
ored population than among the whites.

Q. Do you have any trouble with your
white inmates and colored getting along
with each other?

A. No, we do not.

Q. ‘Are they permitted to associate with
each other?

A. Yes, they are.
(Continued on Page 19)

 

Page 1

CASTIB ON THE CUMBERLAND

 

 

 

  

 

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SIXTH ANNUAL A. A. BANQUET -- A PERSONAL REPORT

In convict parlance, a "civilian" is any
person who doesn't wear a number on his
shirt. To a member of Alcoholics Anonyb
mous, the word means anyone who doesn’t
wear the monkey of alcoholism on his
back. Last month, your editor had the
privilege of being a "civilian" at an
A. A. banquet. If you'll pardon a bad
pun, the experience was an eye-opener.

Like most other civilians,
vate picture of A. A. as

but rather dreary and
tion that was doing a laudable job of
keeping exastumblebums off the jug. I
also had the usual doubts about the ef»
fectiveness of an Alcoholics Anonymous
program within a prison -— where, after
all, booze is the scarcest of commodi-
ties. The KSP Hopeful Group's Sixth
Anniversary Banquet knocked a hole in
that picture. I’ll even go so far as to
admit that before the meeting was over
I was half wishing I were an alcoholic
so I could join the group myself.

I had a pria
a worthwhile
sordid organizae

The picture was torn a little when I
walked into the chapel, where the meet»
ing was being held, and looked around
the room. The thirty or so outside meme
here who had braved icy streets and near
zero weather to be here a- and many of
them drove from far corners of the state
to be here a- certainly didn't fit the
frame. well dressed, well groomed, pros~
perous looking, they mingled with the

inmates freely and naturally,. with»
out a trace of the false heartiness and
condescension that prisoners have,

learned to expect from many'visitors.

Warden Iuther Thomas and Deputy warden
Lloyd Armstrong were present for the
opening of the banquet, and they both
welcomed the guests. They, too, seemed
to be impressed with the job A. A. is
doing. The Deputy warden came back just
before lunch to tell a story on- himself
that got a good reception from the
group. Chaplain Jaggers, sponsor of the
priSon group, was there too. He offered

a short prayer which, with the exception
of a closing benediction, was the only
religious aspect of the affair.

Normand 3., an inmate, emceed the prev
gram, and did a fine job of it. So did
the three inmate speakers a- wayne 3.,
who co—founded the HDpeful Group six
years ago, and John P. and Commoneal B.

But the real high point of the banquet
was the talks given by the outsiders.
These weren't the usual beforeudinner
Speeches. They weren't at all sordid or
dreary an in spite of the sordidness of
the subject matter w~ and they were anyw
thing but dull. The group's outside
Sponsor, a man who has given a lot of
time and energy to the inmate chapter,
sticking with it even when membership

was down to practically zero, spoke
briefly. Then he introduced the princi=
pal speakers, both Louisville execuu
tives.

Those talks finished tearing down that
picture of A. A. I had been carrying
around. Both of the men were gifted
speakers as well as talented and sucw
cessful members of their community.
They told their stories sincerely and
honestly; Their talks were dramatic
without melodrama, tragic without self-
castigation or sobmsisterishness, and
inspirational without mawkishness.

Following the Speeches a guard came in
== and incidentally there had been no
guards present before this we and es=
sorted the visitors to the Washrooms in
the administration building across the
yard. The inmates wandered back to the
shops to wash up. When everyone re»
turned, Steward Henry Griffin and some
of the fellows from the kitchen brought
in a buffet luncheon.

Money for the food had been provided in
part from the Hopeful Group's slim
treasury and in part ,by Joe Rose, the
nonmalcoholic Hopkinsville businessman

 

'7A3TLE ON THE CUMBERLAND

Page 2

 

  

of his time to
institu-

who has devoted so much
the state prisons and mental
tionso There were ham sandwiches and
baked beans, potato salad and cake,
pickles and coffee, and after everyone
had lined up to fill his plate, we all
sat around the chapel balancing plates
on our knees, visitors and inmates
alikeo It was a really enjoyable lunch~
son and no one spoiled it by asking why
the menu didn't include green beans and
stewed potatoeso

I talked for a while with one of the
speakers, a fellow named Bill K. Billls
talk had been sprinkled with barwroom
and convict expressions (following his
long bout with the bottle he did considu
erable work in the California penal
institutions), but it also had disPlayed
the depth and simplicity you would ex=
pect from a truly educated man, which he
150

During his speech, I had the distinct
tnpression that all his story' needed to
make it apply to most of us in here was
to substitute the word "thief" for
"alcoholic," and that was what I wanted
to discuss with him. we talked for a
time about compulsive behavior of all
kinds, whether it9s in a drunkard or a
gambler or a thief or whatever, Withm
out any hocus~pocus or psychiatric jarw
gon, Bill told me how the same basic
emotions —m fear and resentment and hat=
red, but especially the kind of fear
that is commonly identified as an inadem
quacy or inferiority complex ~m seem to
be behind it allo

"You've never seen a man who was truly
self-confident, who really believed in
himself, commit any antiasocial acts,"
he said. "Fear makes us feel inadequate
and inadequacy leads to resentment and
hatred."

I asked him'if he didn“t think the same
principles that are helping alcoholics
stay sober would keep thieves from
stealingo He replied that there was no
doubt of ito

later, one of the visitors got up and ‘
suggested that the hat be passed for the ‘
Hopeful Group's treasury. There was a I
clinking of silver and a rustling of
paper money as the collection was taken.
Soon after that, the meeting broke up.
The guard came in again to escort the
visitors to the gates They looked
around for their coats and hats, said
their goodbyes, and the banquet was overo !

 

A0 A0 PROVED EFFECTIVE IN PRISON

 

Alcoholics who go to prison mm and it
has been said that as many as 90 percent
of all convicts are in prison as a dim
rest or indirect result of excessive
drinking __ have to stay dry whether
they Want to or not. But, according to
Normand 3., who served as Master of
Ceremonies at last month“s A0 Ao Annie
versary Banquet, the Alcoholics Anonye
mous program works almost as well for
prisoners as it does for free drunks.

 

Normand backed up his contention with
figures showing that alcoholics who were
released from San Quentin before warden
Clinton DufnyS reign returned at the
rate of 80 percent. When Duffy brought
in the first A0 A0 prison chapter at San_

Quentin, however, the number of rem
turnees among alcoholics drOpped to 20
percents

SOMETHING WRONG WITH HIS ARGUMENT

 

A Wilmington, Delaware police sargeant‘s
was one of the strongest voices urging
that Delaware restore the death penalty, 1
abolished in that state in 1958. The i"
sargeant, who had been in police work I
for 20 years, testified that he knew the 1
death penalty puts fear into the hearts m
of wouldabe killers and deters them frmn q
murdero His voice was heeded, and the
electric chair returned to Delaware.

 

Ten days after the
into effect, the
wifel

death penalty went
sargeant killed his

 

Page 3

CASTLE-ON THE CUMBERLAND

 

  

TWO IAYMEN SPEAK.AT CHAPEL SERVICES

 

Two area laymen visited the prison on
. successive weeks last month to Speak at
Chapel services. Both men drew large
numbers of inmates into the small brick
building that doubles as a library.

Executive News Editor Bill Powell of the
PADUCAH SUN DEMOCRAT was scheduled to
Speak at the Christmas services, but
illness postponed his appearance until
January. The CASTLE staff was not noti—
fied of his visit in time to cover the
talk, but reports from inmates who were
present were enthusiastic.

Bill Russell, a young Baptist from HOp-
kinsville, visited Chapel services the
following week as a guest of Joe Rose,
also of Hopkinsville. Speaking for ap-
proximately an hour, Russell kept his
audience engrossed with a delivery that
reminded some of the style of comedian
' Andy Griffith. Both Russell and. Rose
stayed for the A. A. Banquet held after
services.

LUCAS COMPLETES CARVING OF LAST SUPPER

A double-lifer -- a man serving two life
_sentences -- recently completed a large
wood~carving of the Last Supper.' Alvin
Incas, employed in the Cabinet Shop,
Spent more than three weeks carving the
scene from a Sheet of p0plar.

The carving is_recessed 'with details of

the room, ’the traditional thirteen
figures, and the table standing out in
has-relief.‘ The impression of depth is

heightened by a large frame painstaking—
ly made in blond wood by Jack Ingram,
another Cabinet Shep employee.

The highly realistic scene is finished
in two shades of stain, with a final
coat of varnish to bring out the gloss
,and grain of the wood. Lucas completed
the project with. the .blessings ~of his
superior, Officer in Charge H. Hillyard.

Other prejects Hrecently completed by

carving as a hobby
only months ago, include the figures on
a large pendulum clock. The clock
attracted a great deal of favorable com»
ment around the prison.

Lucas, who took up

said he had nothing definite
planned for his next woodcarving pro~
ject, but he usually gets ideas for
other scenes while working with the
carving tools.

Lucas

COUNTRY BAND: REORGANIZED, NAMED

 

Jack Belcher,
western band,

leader of the country and
announced last month that

a general reorganization has taken
place. The band has also been given a
name -- the Kentucky Playboys, a title

borrowed from Jack's outside band.

Belcher said the band has been reformed
around the steel guitarist, Curly Bruce.
Ray Stone and Gene Kirby will do the vo~
cals, Garvin Shappard will be on the
fiddle, and Grant Roark will thump the
big bass fiddle. Belcher strums the
lead guitar for the group. -

The‘ Kentucky Playboys. are using, the
toolroom near the pumphouse for rehear=
sals. Their plans include making tapes
for the prison's Sundayhafternoon broad=
cast on WCBL (See Page 23), and by the
time this magazine is out, a variety
show staged in the gymnasium.

SURRENDER CALL NETS EXTRA FUGITIVES

 

(From The lOUISVILLE' TIMES)

(AP) -- Phoenix police surrounded a moe
tel and over a loudspeaker demanded that
Walter Lewis Hefner, '33, surrender.
Hefner was wanted on a robbery charge.

Officers were surprised when Hefner
walked out of a cabin to surrender, then
two other men came out *of a different
unit with their hands raised.

The other two were wanted in a Holte
ville, California burglary.

 

CASTLE ON THE CUMBERLAND

Page A

  

NEW FEDERAL PRISON ATTRACTIVE, SECURE

 

According ,to an AP disPatch in the
PADUCAH SUN DEMOCRAT, the new Federal
prison being built at Marion, Illinois
was designed with the psychological
wellbeing of its inmates in mind. But
security in the new prison, erected
partly to house some of the inmates of
the condemned prison on Alcatraz Island,
will be tight.

Built at a cost of $15,000 per inmate
(it will house 700), the prison features
cheerful colors, a new arrangement of
bars, and no wall at all. Double fences
guarded by gun towers at strategic
points will make the institution virtu-
ally escape proof. Guarded tunnels lead
in and out of the compound, and TV
cameras scan the halls. In the windows,
vertical bars of aluminum conceal Speci—
al steel bars, and walls of the build-
ings are from five to eight feet thick.

A view of the surrounding countryside
and outside air circulating through the
cells will make conditions a little more
pleasant. The grounds are landscaped.
Ultramodern industrial facilities will
provide plenty of work for the inmates
confined there.

A classroom for students of criminology
will be provided near the prison, and
a special training program has been set
up for prison employees. The prison is
the 32nd in the Federal system.

ARCHITECT CASNER OLD HAND AT THE GAME

 

Lawrence Casner, who designed the new
education-recreation building under cone
struction in the prison, is no newcomer
to architecture. A native of Providence
Kentucky, he took his training at the
Georgia Institute of Technology and
emerged a licensed architect and civil
engineer. He set up his business in
Madisonville in l93h. Now 29 years lat-
er, he still maintains the same office.

The building he designed for the prison,

a two—story'masonry structure with clean
simple lines, will house the institution
library and academic school on its first
floor. A gymnasiumeauditorium, complete
with stage and movie faCilities, will
occupy the second floor. The 20,000
square foot structure will cost the
state about half of its actual value
through the use of inmate labor and used
materials.

Mr. Casner was in the prison last month
to check on the progress of the build~
ing's foundation, now almost completed.

COLD WEATHER CUTS'TARD CREW TO 55

 

The arrival of winter has cut the size
of the yard maintenance crew to approxi-
mately 55 men, according to Alford
Cunninghma, clerk in the Yard Office.
Normally, some 80 or more men are kept
on the payroll. Their reSponsibilities
include caring for the flowers and lawns
in the lO-acre compound, whitewashing
buildings and walks, and generally keep-
ing the yard clean,, as well as carrying
food and water to the guards in the gun
towers spotted around the walls.

The Yard Office, located under the laun—
dry and situated ‘just below the main
level of the compound, serves as head-
quarters for the guards whose duty it is
to maintain order and oversee work and
maintenance details within the walls.
The domain of Lieutenant W. 0. long and
Sergeant W. G. Herndon, the Yard Office
is also resPonsible for escorting out-
side details out the back gate every
morning, assigning tasks to men on extra
duty status, supervising equipment
checkouts, and the hundred and one other
miscellaneous but important tasks in-
volved in operating the inside of a pri-
son. All necessary records are kept by
Cunningham, and Ray Forsting serves as
Runner. Another inmate who performs an
important but unsung job is B. G. lee,
whose duty it is to keep the shower room
clean and supplied with soap and towels.

 

Subscribe to the CASTLE -- $1 a yeart

 

Page 5

CASTLE ON THE CUMBERLAND

  

 

 

 

 

 

TODAY: A MEDITATION FOR OUR TIMES

The material reprinted on our editorial page this month does not originate with us.
It was printed on the back of an advertising card from an Ohio manufacturing com~
pany and was passed on to us by one of those rare individuals who practice their
faith and their philosophy 2h hours a day. With apologies to Joe Rose, who will
never blow his own horn, we present the thoughts he sent to us.

JUST FOR TODAY I wdll try to live through this day only, not to tackle my whole
life problem at once. I can do things for 2h hours that would appall me if I had
to keep them up for a life time.

JUST FOR TODAY I will be happy. This assumes what Abraham Lincoln said is true,
.that "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Happiness
is from within; it is not a matter of externals.

JUST FOR TODAY I will try to adapt myself to the present, and not attempt to adjust
everything to my own desires. I will take my family, my business, and my licks as
they come and fit myself to them. 2

JUST FOR TODAY I will take care of my body. I will exercise it, care for it, mourn
ish it, not abuse it nor neglect it, so that it will be a perfect machine for my
bidding. I

JUST FOR TODAY I will try to strengthen my mind. I will learn something useful. I
will not be a mental loafer; I will read something that requires effort, thought
and concentration.

JUST FOR TODAY I will exercise my soul in three ways: I will help somebody by a
good turn and not get found out; I will do at least two things I don't want to do,
as William James suggests -- "just for exercise."

JUST FOR TODAY I will be agreeable. I will appear as well as I can, dress as
becomingly as possible, talk low, act courteously, be liberal with praise, criti~
cize not at all, nor find fault with anything and not try to regulate nor improve
anyone.

JUST FOR TODAY I will have a program. I will write down what I expect to do. I
may not follow it exactly, but I will have it. It will eliminate two pests ~-
hurry and indecision.

JUST FOR TODAY I will be unafraid, especially I will not be afraid to be happy, to
enjoy what is beautiful, to love, and to believe that those I love, love me.

 

CAsTIs ON THE CUMBERLAND Page 6

  

 

CRIMINALS CAN BE REHABILITATED

By Milton G. Rector

Director, National Council on Crime and Delinquency

 

 

Reprinted from CONCEREIMagazine‘s Special Issue on Crime and Rehabilitation

 

As a sinner can be redeemed, so a crimi~
nal can be rehabilitated. While redemp-
tion and rehabilitation are synonymous
in the language of the church, they are
not so considered in the language of our
social institutions, of which the church
is but one. Man and the law of man
never forgive. The civil and social
disabilities follow a convicted criminal
to his grave even though he has been re-
habilitated.

It has not been many years since we
treated the mentally ill, then called
insane, as we treat criminals today.
They were chained and received regular
corporal punishment and other severe
forms of discipline for their misbe~

havior. Offenders and the mentally ill
were held in the same penal institu—
tions.

This was the system supported by the
general public, which always considers
that which is done under public authori-
ty is that which needs to be done. In
fact, when such enlightened persons as
Dr. Pinel in France and Dorothea Dix in
the United States fought to remove the
chains from the insane and to separate
them from penal institutions, they did
so against the opposition of an enraged
public and a distrustful and dubious
officialdom. Efforts to change the
social institutions and systems which

attempt to rehabilitate offenders are
still undergoing the same kinds of op~
position and distrust.

CHURCH LEAD NECESSARY

Unless the church takes the lead in
helping to change public attitudes to»
ward the offender to one of belief that
behavior can be changed for the better
-— that a child or man who violates the
law deserves- redemption and forgiveness
from his fellowman, at least as much as
he does from his God we the evolution of
progressive change in the administration
of justice will be needlessly prolonged.

Criminality and delinquency are defined
as any form of behavior which violates
the law. In this society few of those
who violate the law are apprehendedg and
even fewer are convicted and referred to
correctional agencies for rehabilita=
tion. ’

In the absence of comprehensive criminal
statistics for the nations those of
California offer the most complete rem
porting system of the few states which
collect such data. In 19609 2509000
serious (felony) crimes were reported to

the police in California. There were
98,000 persons arrested for felonies
against whom. h29000 complaints were

filed. There were 2h3000 persons cone

 

 

Page 7

CASTDE.ON'THE CUMBERLAND

  

victed, accounting for less than 10 per
cent of the number of crimes reported.
Of these, 10,000 were placed on proba-
tion and 7,000 were committed to prison.

If a person continues his criminal be~
havior the chances of his arrest in»
crease proportionately. Thus, with the
vast majority of criminals going unap~
prehended, it can be assumed that a pre-
ponderance of criminal behavior in
America changes for the better without
the intervention of police, courts, and
correctional agencies such as probation,
institutions, and parole.

It can also be assumed that crime does
pay -- and so does the public. Toward
those offenders who are arrested and
convicted, the public is terribly con-
flicted and, therefore, as might be ex-
pected, the agencies established to
combat crime and to treat offenders are
also conflicted.

law enforcement agencies deeply resent
the pro-court release from detention
homes of those youngsters whom probation
staff screen out as being neither dan-
gerous nor apt to run away. On the
other hand, the police raise no protest
when an armed robber or accused rapist
is released on bail with no premrelease
investigation.

Leading law enforcement journals decry
the youthful offender as the most seri—
our crime problem in the country and de-
mand more severe court sentences for
these offenders. But they are largely
silent on the insidious threat posed by
organized crime in America and the ex-
tent to which political and law enforce-
ment protection and public patronage
permit criminal syndicates to thrive.

A robbery in which a few individuals
succeed in stealing over a million dol—
lars captures the headlines and, in the
minds of many,.confirms the need to deal
more harshly with convicted offenders.
But the public is generally apathetic
when the executives of several corpora»

tions connive to fix prices and to con“
trol competitive bidding to the end that
countless millions of dollars are stolen
through needlessly inflated prices.

New outbreaks of vandalism by delinquent
youngsters cause the public to look with
doubt upon the juvenile court as though
its efforts to understand the cause of
such behavior are not in fact condona~
tion of delinquency, when at the same
time in the same city known racketeers
remain immune from arrest and prosecu~
tion. Heavier sentences are demanded
for sex offenders, few of whom are dan-
gerous persons, when at the same time
known racketeers in court for income tax
violation receive lighter sentences than
those imposed on tax violators engaged
in legitimate business and professions.

CONVICTED A MINORITY

It should be clear then that when we
discuss the question of rehabilitating
the criminal from a penological viewe
point we are discussing only those of=
fenders who are caught and convicted ma
a minority among the number of persons
who commit crimes.

Generally speaking they are persons of
limited economic means whom society rem
jected even before a delinquent act was
committed. They are from the low-income
groups which are disProportionately vulv
nerable to arrest, to jail detention, to
conviction,j and to incarceration. Few
are truly dangerous in the sense of

severe personality disorders or assaulta .

ive behavior. Many are from ethnic

groups which are denied equal Opportuniwa
ties for education and employment and

which, because they are not assimilated

among the general population, are not

organized to protect themselves politim

cally while they strive for better

skills, income and education.

If justice were administered equally for
all economic levels of our society, tens
of thousands of persons who now inhabit
our jails and prisons would not be there.

 

 

CKSTEE 5N THE CUMBERLAND

Page 8

 

  

If our misdemeanant courts were staffed,
as less than five. per cent are, to
screen out the mentally and physically
ill and the nonwdangerous offenders ime
mediately after arrest, the populations
of our city and county jails would be
dramatically reduced. The scandalous
bail bond practices existing in so many
cities would dry up. Millions of dol»
lars in tax funds to be spent for in=
creased jail capacity would be saved.

TRAINEE PERSONNEL REQUIRED

If our criminal courts were staffed with
trained probation officers and supple=
mented by clinical diagnostic services
to apply what we now know to aid in senw
tencing the criminal on the basis of his
propensity for further crime rather than
for the particular offense, thousands of
persons in our prisons today would not
be there. About 70 per cent would find
the help necessary for rehabilitation on
probation rather than the 20 to be per
cent which receive such assistance in
most states.

If the penal laws were reformed to pre-
scribe the long sentences for the racke-
teers and other dangerous offenders who
prey on children and viciously assault
other people (no more than 10 per cent
of the convicted offenders) and shorter
sentences for the nondangercus offenm
ders, correctional institutions could be
built to hold populations of no more
than 200~300 prisoners. Only then could
correctional institutions become true
rehabilitation centers to specialize in
treating these we have had little sucm
case in rehabilitating to date.

If more parole boards were staffed with
trained and experienced persons rather
than patronage appointments, the process
of selecting prisoners for parole re—
lease at the point of rehabilitative
readiness would reduce our prison popur
laticns even more.

If parole officers were available in
sufficient number and training, far few»

er released prisoners would commit new

crimes.

"ifs" to the answer that
rehabilitated in far
less than the

These are the
criminals can be
greater number and at far
cost of the rehabilitative efforts un-
derway in most states today. Human bee
havior is more complex than the atom.
To solve its complexities will require
better application of scientific know—
ledge now available and greatly expanded

efforts to _increase this knowledge.
Only a few million dollars a year are
being Spent on research into the crime

problem that costs our people over $20

billion a year.

It must be understood that the best
efforts of law enforcement, courts, and
correctional agencies can not eliminate
crime. They do not cause crime. They
must be re—tooled to serve as the cone
ters for research, for improved methods
of treatment and prevention, but in the
end, the answer lies with a better inan
formed and activated public.

While there' can be little doubt that
many commit crimes because they are men—
tally and emotionally ill, the great man
jority who come into the courts do so
because they are denied equal opportuni~
ties for employment, decent housing,
education, medical care, and social wel-
fare services. The current high crime
rate and heavy overload on law enforce-
ment, court, and correctional agencies
will continue until society learns how
to solve these more basic problems.

 

ERUDI TE IG NORANC E"?

 

Associate Editor to Editor following a
stupid remark by the latter: "How can
you be so ignorant in such an intelli-
gent manner?"

 

MISNOMBR -- Wonder what would happen --/
Would everybody hop -~/
convict/’th had the nickname "Cop."

-~ Bob Fain in the LE¥INGTON'HERALD ~-

If there was a W

 

Page 9

CASTLE ON'THE CUMBERLAND

fl_i____£

 

 

_’>——————.——__ _ ————.——___. H. ——_A4

 

  

 

 

 

Eddyvil le Pris on
February 15, 1965

Dear Friend,

A little more than two years have passed since I was transferred from the Reforman
tory at IaGrange to the maximummsecurity facility here. The time has passed
reasonably fast. For a while, I taught in the school, trying without much success
to interest the pupils in the structure and grammar of their language. But for
the past year and a half, I have spent most of my time seated before this type»
writer, writing and editing copy for the magazine.

How has the time passed? HOW‘Will the years to come pass? What do I feel, what do
I miss, and what, to me as an individual, is the hardest part of a prison sentence?
These are some of the questions you have been wondering about, I think, and I think
that so far I haven't really answ