Paga 4, The Herald, Tuesday, Saptember 4, 1979

TERRACE/KITIMAT

daily herald

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EDITOR - Greg Middleton

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635-4357

In the Herald.

EDITORIAL |

One out of every 1,000 Canadians goes to jail. What is it like? Why has there been so many hostage Incidents and so much violence? What changes are being made? What changes should be made?

These questions will be examined by an 11-part series on this page of the Daily Herald over the next three weeks.

The problems in the prison system and how and why we fail the people we do and in the numbers we do says a great deal about our society.

The Canadian Press,

Canada’s

national news-gathering co-operative, assigned a number of reporters to look at the various prisons and the problems

changes there.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Sir:

We would like to introduce your readers to Canadian Parents for French, an organization of volunteer parents from across Canada

dedicated to the im- provement of French second-language —_ learning

opportunities for their children.” LO eee

The goals of our organization are three-fold: CPF believes that every Canadian child should have the opportunity to learn French to the level he or she is willing and able; that the best types of French language learning op- portunities be available; and to this end, CPF maintains liason with governmental and educational authorities.

CPF acts asa resource for

parents and educators, We can provide information on school programs, research, resource personnel, and extra curricular activities. We have assisted many

parent groups in B.C. to .

obtain better French second: | language programs in their schools. Four provincial and four national newsletters are sent aut annually to ‘keep members informed on the latest events and develop- ments in French second- language learning portunities.

If any of your readers are interested in our objectives and wish more information we invite them to write to Canadian Parents for French, B,C, Chapter, 325¢., Cornwall Street, Por* Coquitlam, B.C. V3B 8G

TODAY IN HISTORY

Sept, 4,

The Third French Republic was proclaimed following the capture of Napoleon III during the Franco-Prussian War 109 years ago today — in 1870. With the fall of the empire in France, a government of na- tional defence attempted to continue the war with Germany, but France was forced to capitulate a year later. The Third Republic was formally inaugurated by decree in January, 1875, and the republic was organized under the Constitution of 1875. In Paris, Empresa Eugenie fled vicious mobs

1978

and hid in the house of U.S, dentist Thomas Evans, She later fled to England in Mra, Evans’s clothes.

1886 — Geronimo and the Apaches surrendered to the United States army at Skeleton Canyon, Ariz.

1909 — The first Boy Scout rally was held in England.

1918 — Canadian forces broke through the Drocourt- Queant line during the First World - War,

1928 — A round-the-world trip was completed by the German dirigible Graf Zeppelin.

1943 — The Italian fleet surrendered to the Allies in the Second World War.

HCRMAN ,

4 we

“We forgot the foad!"

Letters welcome

The Herald welcomes its readers comments. All letters to the editor of general public interest will be printed. We do, however, relain the right to refuse to print letters on grounds of possible libel or bad taste. We may also edit letters for slyle and length. All letters to be considered for publication must be signed,

pean Omer OAL

aoe

op-

PRISON FEATURE

Bad, but better now

One Canadian in 1,000 this year will find himself in one of Canada's municipal jails, provincial prisons or federal penitentiaries.

Many vill react the way Gilbert Rondeau did when he served six days in a Quebec provincial prison last spring.

As a member of Parliament from 1962 until his defeat in the May 22 general election, Rondeau had been a hang-'em-high type. Jai! changed

at. ;

“It’s a damn ship of fools,” said —

the 51-year-old who had been con- vietedof fraud. “It's a cancerous

_.|. system. which is meant as a

corrective system, absolutely nothing.”

Many prisoners would agree with Rondeau. Conditions on the inside dilen are not geared to correction and rehabilitation. Many prisons are overcrowded and have antiquated facilities.

But perhaps more important — at least to the prisoners — prisons symbolize a hopeless future.

And this frequently leads to violence among prisoners and between prisoners and guards. However, there are signs that the really violent, bad old days of 1975 and 1976 may be gone forever. Bul that may depend of the federal Progressive Conservative govern: ment. ;

Feeling among penal experts is that if the government enacts legislation recommended in 1977 by a parliamentary subcommitiee, major incidents will be rare.

In fact, seious incidents have declined substantially as prisoners wait to see what action the govern- ment will take on the reforms suggested by the purliamentary subcommittee.

In 1976,- prisoners in the federal system were threatening to destroy the system with three maximum security pens — Laval in Quebec, Millhaven in Ontario and B.C. penitentiary — heavily damaged in riots,

In 1975 and 1976, there were 60 major incidents in federal In- Stitutlons, including 35 in which a latal of 22 hoslages were taken by prisoners.

There were only two incidents classed as major last year and the same number in the first six months of this year. And by previous standards the incidents were unremarkabl. = -

“What we regarded as major now would have been regarded as minor a few years ago,” said Howard Mansfield, chief security analyst for the federal system.

After the problems of 1976, the parliamentary subcommittee found the prison system to be in a state of crisis, its management fat and in- effective, lis guards unsupervised and brutal and ita prisoners seething.

Siaty-five recommendations lor reform were endorsed by all £4

but corrects

subcommittee members, rep- resenting the four major parties in the Commons. Many have yet to be implemented,

But the subcommittee's report has become the Bible that has taught those in prison about how the system works and how it should work. Most important of all, it has given prisoners hope. They seem to rely less on violence and more on publicity.

A series of Canadian Press in- terviews, with convicts, ex-convicts and prison officials, indicates that the majorproblems remain 4 lack of adequate training for guards, long

periods of boredom for the prisoners

and poor facilities,

There appeared to be a consensus that tinkering with the penitentiary system, rather than making major changes, could lead to violence.

There is no consensus, however, on whether things have changed for the better since some of -the sub- committee's recommendations were implemented.

An ex-convict in Laval — the old, infamous St. Vincent de Paul pen in

Montreal — says there is more .

repression than ever and more Suicide attempts than ever. However, Quebec institutions are

mot a microcosm af the Canadian - penal system. Violence is higher:

than anywhere else and some prisoners say guards are promoted

on the basis of how tough they are. - . At Millhaven, an official said. guards now are better trained and |

conditions have improved. Another official said there are still some cbard-core guards who like lo make life miserable for prisoners.

At Stony Mountain in Manitoba, a corps of “living unit officers’ has been formed to make life more bearable for convicts. They don't wear uniforms, are permanently as- signed to cell areas and counsel prisoners.

Officials say the move has been effective. Some prisoners don't agree.

“It's a farce," said a convict. “Before, these guys were normal everyday guards.

“So they take them out of uniform and make them counsellors without proper training.”

One Improvement that nobody argues about ls that penal officials appear to be listening to the prisoners.

“] think more use is being made of correspondence," sald Mansfield. “The inmates get an answer now and not just a flippant one.’

When a@ prisoner is charged with an offence, hia side now is heard by an independent chairman rather

than by the deputy warden. Prisoner ‘

committees and cilizen's com- mittees have been encouraged and they offen work together to correct situations that in the past might have become confrontations, Correctional Commissioner Howard Yeomans knows little about

prisons, but a good deal about

that prisoner graduates stand a chance of finding wark’

. And within the system, two special

- Spending eight months in cubicle-

management. He demands fellow-up: -:

reports and has,.to an-exteht,; |: tating:the public payroll.

brought order to what had been a chaotic mess.

For years, federal prisons had training programs, but it wasn't until the MPs examined the system in 1976 that it was discovered the tickels given to prisoners who graduated were worthless in getting jobs.

The trade courses now have received provincial status, meaning

Hen they are released. . Parliament has amended parole laws to make things tougher on — prisoners whose parole is revoked,

handling units, known as SHUs, have been built, one at Millhaven and one at the Correctional Develop- ment Centre in Montreal.

' Anyone who takes a hostage, escapes or engages in violence while in prison winds up in an SHU for at least 10 months. .

Prisoners are locked up in the SHUs for 19 hours a day, with a TV setas their only diversion. The celis have three steel walls anda concrete wall. A light burns 24 hours a day.

Prisoners consider them a great step backward in reform. .

One long-term prisoner at — Millhaven gouged out his eyes in the hope that he would be set back to the United States and paroled, He'll get his freedom, but he's blind in one eye and has only five-per-cent vision in the other. .

He had been in the Millhaven SHU.

In Winnipeg jail, a couple of prisoners committed suicide after

like cells with toilets in full view of everyone in the area. As in most jails, they had nothing to occupy them.

The physical facilities, the lack of hope and = outright boredom seemingly boost the suicide rate among convicts is 12 times that of the public at large.

Wardens, guards and prisoners are all worried about the growing number of persons deing a minimum of 25 years for first-degree murder, and 10 to 25 years for second-degree murder,

More than 1,000 prisoners are serving time for murder and about 100 have been given the 25-year senlence since 1976, meaning they won't be eligible for parole until the 2ist century.

Twenty-five years in any prison institutionalizes prisoners to the point where they are largely helpless when they finally get out, officials say.

A Join Howard Society spokesman in Kingston sald: “A prison system is an environment where you've got a number of forces working against each other ,.. That's why we advocate smaller in- stitulions where people (staff and prisoners) can communicate one on one.”

OTTAWA OFFBEAT

BY RICHARD JACKSON

OTTAWA - Who's in charge of the new Conservative ne ain onder | metimes you wonder.

Joe Clark as. Prime Minister has the magic wand of power but gives the impression of being a slow learner in the art of high command. D

Too often he looks like he’s just one of the boys — senior class, of course — one of the star students perhaps, but not exactly the prefect. '

Perhaps it's inexperience, may be even a well- intentioned determination to let a little democracy

nlighten the comman . ° This on the basis that ithe isn't seen to be The Man Unquestionably in Charge, he can’t be held respon- sible when things go wrong, as go they do in any ad- ministration. ;

When Pierre Trudeau was head man there never was any doubt, especially among the Liberals, in- cluding the Cabinet, who was in_ charge,

Even more than the Liberals, the opposition Con- servatives recognized Pierre Trudeau as No. 1.

Responsible for everything. ;

So, when the end finally came after 16 years: of

+ Liberal power, to blame for everything including the

_black marks against the administration amudged on the record by former Prime Minister Lester Pearson - in his five years. ; . But with Prime Minister Joe Clark it's different. The Official Word — presumably his — is spending restraint, But ig it? ’ a There's Treasury Board President Sinclair Stevens

_. busy with plans to cut 60,000 public servants from the

payroll through attrition, while hard at work trying to bring down to their proper positions these civil ser-

‘ vants who have been “over-classified” — promoted beyond their abilities and even responsibilities by the Old Boys’ Network in the bureaucracy. So give Sinclair (snickerty-snack) Stevens credit for

” trying. 2

> But while Sinc slaves away carrying out Joe Clark's ‘orders, others on the cabinet team are giving him the business.

Like Privy Council President Walter Baker whose Ottawa riding is heavily populated by naturally nervous public servants. — - ba lt ;

_ To put them at theip ease Walter has been soothing | them with the promise that the Conservatives are gencrously geing to forget about Bill C-28. iy That was the piece of legislation brought into the - Commons by Trudeau's Liberals to prove that after they had let the public service staff run wild te something over 500,000, they weren't really soft on the ‘bureaucracy. .

With Bill C-28 they were going to “‘tie'’ those high- flying public service salaries to pay scales for com: mensurale responsibllities in the private sector.

Great idea, enthused the Conservatives at the time, even claiming they had thought up the idea in the first place.

<< dE wag a good one, and it would have done the trick of. Uo Aya pb ogth oe oat

But now, says Walter Baker, the Conservatives ard going to forget about it.

That’s only one example, though.

Take the business of moving the Veterans’ Affairs Department to Prince Edward Island, Allon McKinnon, Defence and Veterans Minister, says the. move is off. Too expensive, and anyway there's really no need for a _ Veterans’ Department.

But David MacDonald, Communications Minister and member of the ‘‘Red Tory” inner cabinet, says it’s -

+ on,

So'it's on. ,

McKinnon says Defence 707 jets won't be used to fly Viet refugees and Immigration Minister Ron Atkey says they would. And they were,

The place is full of contradictions. In every office, in many Official announcements, but most of all in Finance Minister Crosbie’s offhand dismissal of Joe Clark's election manifesto and vote-winning promises.

Who's in charge? .

tat Dove ee

ATRILL THINKS

By THOMAS ATRILL

“We need 4 revolution. ' Yes, a revolution is our outlook and thinking regarding energy, pollution, waste, and all the other problems that plague and obsess us today. . There are two possible approaches to these ‘problems’, one is the pie-concept, in which all is finita and may be used up, or the unlimited supply idea, : which recognizes the unlimited options available to us, if we will only use our intelligence and imagination.

At present the first approach is all to prevalent. It {s trumpeted on T.V., radio and in our periodicals. ‘The world is .a pie’, they imply. ‘We are using it up, polluting it and it will run out.’ Bosh!

The truth is, Mother Nature supplies us with an abundance of everything, including problems to solve. Fortunately, we were supplied with adequate brains with which todo just that, if we care to hop toit,

At the present time, the ‘viewers with aldrm’ are making the most noise. The doers, the achievers, the inventors, have been pushed into the background, For example: we read and hear a lot about Milfoil weed and its dire consequences, but what about the mnachine that clears it out, and what a market for milfoil products? Does it have food value? Would it be marketable? And we are constantly reminded about our ‘effluent society’ in which we are to be drowning in our own effluent. Not if it were processed and turned into something useful and marketable. No, the viewers with alarm will not accomplish any of this. They are looking for problems, not solutions, Leave all that to the free-enterpriser. Get off his back and just watch how he will turn sawdust into wallboard, ex- crement into revtilizer and weeds into electrie power,

Pproach number one is frustration and despair. © dentend street of ; us fry approach number two. Let us interference and taxes and over-regulation that cate all progress, and let us encourage the free thinker to

come up with new ideas in the field of ollw

control, energy and all the problems that fee these days. And let him protit (yes, J used that word) from the revolution that he will help to bring about.

Or would you prefer the Marxist type of revolution?