Friday. February lb. woo

SCARLET AND BLACK

Page Three

 

[En OUTLAW

(Continued item Page 1)

taken many chances on keeping
you posted on the evils which
exist Within the Administration.
Now, we oller you a lew ol the
things ive expect to gain, it we
stand together.

Remember, on February 16,
1968, on call for lockup, go to
your cell. Do not become in-
volved in anything. This is im<
portant.

The first sign of a disturbance
and this Administration will fire
tear gas and bullets, Some will
be injured it we panic in an
attempt to scatter. We must not
permit this.

ll no lockup is called on this
day, the same movement will
remain in eilect for the fol-
lowing day, and will remain in
effect until the Administration
calls a lockup. Do not report
to work. a . .

CHANGES EXPECTED

Here are a few changes we
expect to be brought about:

T, An opportunity tor all
parole violators to be at-
iorded a hearing in a court
of law; to call witnesses in
their behalf; to crossexamine
those witnesses who appear
against them; to he repre
sented by counsel.

2. Complete abolishment of
the increased penalities tor
narcotics offenders Without
prior lelony convtctions. Sev-
erai men here are now serv-
ing anywhere lrom in to 15
years to lite as a result oi
this stupid law. Isn’t live
years of life suffictent? The
penalty is no deterrent to
crime. This has been proven
time and again.

3. That more favorable Con-
sideration be given to lirst
offenders when their miniv
mumtime is completed. To
compel a person to linger in
prison can only lead to torm-
ing a hardened criminal. Too
much time destroys any con-

structive things the prisoner
has accomplished.

4. A demand for the re
moval of all exelaw enforce
ment oiticers from the Adult
Authority, and that they he
replaced with prolessors, psy—
chologists, etc., who are more
familiar with the criminal.

5. The immediate removal
oi all Child sex offenders to
mental hospitals where they
can receive the help nec-
essary to overcome their ill-
ness.

MORE CHANGES

6. To compel the Adult
Authority to reconsider all
cases who appeared belore
them since October, l967 at
the time in which the new

timescale went into effect.
Almost all prisoners who ap<
pear-ed belore the Board since
October have been denied a
good indication that you will
do more time.

7. Demands for better food
and living conditions within
the p ris o n. Approximately
52,600 is appropriated annual-
ly tor your support. Did you
know that $14 is appropriated
each year just so you can
have a new mattress? HOW
long has it been since you
had one? This is just one
item. We couldn’t begin to
list them all.

5. Complete revision oi the
present pay scale. Prices in
the Canteen continue to shoot
skyward. The draw has been
raised $30 a month. Can you
draw $30 on your present
Pay?

9. Demand that a doctor be
available within the prison
around the clock in order to
prevent unlaiviul deaths, such
as that of Walter Atkinson,
AVEZESZ, on November 5, 1564.
Didn’t think we knew about
that, did you, Dr. McNamara?
want us to give you a lull
report?

He (lied as a result of res-
piratory diiliculty, this is true.
But only because his jaws
were wired together following
surgery, and he strangled on
his own Vomit. . . . We know.
We also have complete photo-
stat copies of the records.
Wonder if John Conley,
D.D.S. would support your
claims? We will see soon
enough.

10. That your parole oﬂi-
cer he compelled to put his
approval in writing oi any
request you make in order
that he may not be permitted
to use these things to justify
violating the conditions or
your parole at his own whim
or caprice. . . .

THE TRUTH SHALL
SET YOU FREE

I only wish we could find the
words to impress upon each at
you, individually, just how im-
portant your support is in mak»
ing this movement a success. . .

Men are presently lighting in
Vietnam in order that these
people may maintain their free
(lom ol democracy and stop the
sarcalled Communist ag-
gression. . . .

Yet here at home those who
have elected to fight for their
rights and freedom have been
treated as criminals and sent
to prison because they have at-
tempted to achieve the same
goals as our Government is at»
tempting to achieve lor those
people in Vietnam,

How can we ever expect to
explain this? we dare not ask,
because as long as their present
course remains unchallenged,
there is no necessity for them
to explain anything. This Ad-
ministration functions in the
same manner.

As long as they are permitted
to continue with their present
course or action, and remain
unchallenged, we can expect to
gain nothing because there is
only one side to the story as
tar as the public is concerned,
and that is the side of the Ad-
ministration. They have re
mained unchallenged up until-
now. T

Since we have been fortunate

'lhe custodial program.

enough to secure the support
necessary that will allord us a
vote in the free world to offer
our side of the coin, we must
not falter. Remember, Febru-
ary 16 is the beginning ol 8
new era.

Don’t listen to rumors: listen
to "The Outlaw." Don't permit
the staff to benefit from our
movement. Be Calm. Be cool.
Be lirm. Above all, be a con-
VlCl.

0L1) GUARD NEVER DIES

According to highly inlormed
sources lrom inside San Quen-
tin, a key reason the Calilornia
prison system has tailed both
the taxpayer and the inmate is
that the rehabilitation program

is controlled by the custodial
stall—the Old Guard which has
been tending the cages without
concern lor the humanity or
luture oi the inmates.

ll rehabilitation is too suc~
cesslul, there will be lcwer
prisoners; lewer prisoners, lew-
er jobs lor the bulls.

SHAKE DOWNS
AND PROMOTIONS

When a new inmate is given
his initial classification, the
custodial staff. not the rehabili—
tation staff. determines his as-
signment. The inmate may ask
to attend classes to learn to
read, or to work lor a high
school diploma, hut ii the cus-
tody arm decides that a fresh
worker is needed in the cotton
textile mill, the inmate goes to
the mill, perhaps lor eight years.

That's all right, officials will
tell you, because a textile mill
job is classified as “rehabilita-
tion." since it teaches a man
”good work habits.”

Most of the counsellors at San
Quentin are exebulls. One week
a guard may shake down a
con, strip him naked, curse and
humiliate him, and the next
week the guard may get his
promotion to the counsellor slot
where the con is expected to
coniide in and rely on him.

Even the good counsellor lies-
itates to make a favorable rec-
ommendation, because if he
makes one mistake his favor-
able remarks will be discounted
by review hoards. Bad reports,
however, produce no risk.

The most remarkable fact
about'the entire rehabilitation
program of the Calliornia De
partment of Corrections is that
there is no way to tell ii an
inmate has been rehabilitated.
No test or measure or any kind
to predict a man’s behavior on
release exists at this time. it's
anybody’s guess.

Nevertheless the custodial
staff evidently felt threatened
by a growing rehabilitation pro-
gram. By the time Ronald Rea-
gan became governor, the re
hahilltatlon program at San
Quentin had grown larger than
Then

Reagan proposed a 10 percent
slice in the budget

RIOT AS CONS SEE IT

Shortly alter that, the daily
press told the oiticial version
of the January 18, 1567 "race
riot” in the prison. Soon 125

new guards were hired and the
custodial side had reasserted
its dominance over rehabilita-
tion. Here is how “The Outlaw"
describes the “riot” irom the

cons’ perspective:

Those of us incarcerated here
at San Quentin last January
witnessed one of the most dis—
gusting scenes imaginable, We
were the unfortunate Victims of
the system that has no thought

tor the lives or the leelings ol
fellowmen.

Most ol us wanted no part
in the January riot which the
writer is referring to. We be-
came involved not by choice but
by force. Coldrbloodedly, Cus-
tody torced hundreds or Cau-
casians and Mexican prisoners
to the lower yard football field,
For the remainder of the day
convicts were picked off like
ducks in a pond by sadistic
Department of Corrections kil-
lersisniping from the walls en-
compassing the recreation tield.
They did this without proper
cause or justification for what
occurred there that day. Oh,
there was a reason alright, but
not the reason which the news
media were oiiered or the pub-
lic was under the impression
oi. No, it wasn't that way at
all.

THAT UNHAPPY WEEK

Earlier in that week which
led up to this mass shooting,
several incidents occurred. Any
one of the incidents would have
been sufficient grounds for the
Warden oi this prison to have
called in double security. By
this I mean that every man in
San Quentin should have been
sent to his cell and there re-
mained until a lull investiga-
tion had been conducted. How-
ever, this wasn’t periormed. On
Monday morning of that un-
happy week, an industrial strike
was to singularly involve Ne-
groes. A picket line was lormed
in iront ol the industrial gate
with stroligrarmed men to en-
force the order.

Some or their men attempted
to cross the picket line and
were beaten. An hour after,
when these tactics had failed
and frustration became the
dominant emotion, a white man
was killed and another wounded.
Racial feeling had been running
high belore Christmas and
through the holidays. At this
point full security should have
been the command from the up-
per echelon.

_ industry , is a, niultirmillion
dollar setup: You can hear SaL‘v
ramento scream clear ‘fmin

_unnecessary correctional

here when any amount of limo
is lost. Many minor and par-
tialrminor incidents occurred in
the days that tollowed.

Custody went about their bus-
iness as though no u a n g e r
existed. Horsehlinders were the
going thing. However, people at
the top were not so blind. They
saw a good thing in the making.
They saw an opportunity to up»
set Governor Reagan’s budget
cut and an order to stop hiring
Offl-
cei‘s. At the same time, the
universities were having their
problems across the bay. Every
civil service employee was next.

Now then. . a What would be
the best thing that could have
happened for the Department
of Corrections at that time?
Why, oi course, a full-scale riot.
A tloubling oi the guard instead
at less guards, lots or extra pay
tor everybody including the State
Police who were brought in.
And best of all, more jobs would
be insured.

No. . . instead of trying to
stop the hell which had been
brewing, kerosene was added to
the smouldering tire, Racial
teelings were played on by
Custody.

EVERYBODY
PLAYED lT DUMB

it is no secret that San Quens
tin is a racial bombshell at all
times. After the killing of a
white man, it is a fact that
retaliation will usually iollow or
vice versa. No orders from
Warden Wilson were fortlicom«
ing. Everybody played it dumb.
Several days or this created a
tension that could have been
Cut with a knife, it was so
thick. By this time nearly every
man in the yard had armed
himself. Some even carried
shanks (a knife of some sort)
in the open.

Custody winked at this dis-
play. Boys will be boys. It-
might be interesting to note here
that a concealed weapon lound
upon any prisoner is punishable
by live years to life in any'
Calitornia Camp Court. Yet,
boys will be boys.

The grand finale was about
to begin. The stage was set,
the actors positioned themselves.

There were even movie cam-
eras on the gunrails. This in
itsell should show premedita-
tion on the part at Custody.
The whites stationed them-
selves along the block wall
(approximately 1,000). Alter
catcalling and jeering Custody
began to lorce the white men
to the lower yard by use or
tear gas shot directly at tho

OUTLAW—
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