Page 4
THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1974
‘Doing time’ finds new meaning today in Texas prison
“Doing time” in a penitentiary
once meant paying your debt to
society by breaking rocks or
stamping license plates.
Such is not the case, however,
in today’s sweeping prison reform
movements across the country.
One such reform is taking place
at TAMU through the combined
efforts of the Criminal Justice
Council, the Texas Department of
Corrections and TAMU’s Engi
neering Extension Service.
Eight men from the TDC Walls
Unit in Huntsville are engaged in
a power lineman training pro
gram at Texas A&M’s Research
Annex.
The men were admitted to the
program through a series of ap
plications, interviews and records
evaluations. “Trusty” status, good
conduct records and a general
education level of ninth-grade
equivalent enabled the men to
participate in the training pro
gram.
“We were all screened careful
ly,” James Vincent noted. “But
the most important parjb,, of our
selection was our application. We
had to show that we wanted the
training program. We weren’t
coerced or “volunteered” for the
program; we had to make the
first move ourselves.”
Being in the program increases
the prisoners’ chances for parole,
according to TDC Vocational
Training Director Michael D.
Hopson.
“By volunteering for the pro
gram, these men are saying, in
effect, that they want to learn a
trade that will keep them out of
trouble. And the program at
A&M looks especially good on
their records, since they are bus
sed from Huntsville to Bryan
each day. This shows they are
trustworthy individuals.”
Although most of the inmates
who complete the training pro
grams at TAMU and elsewhere
are paroled soon after completion
of the course, Robert Davis main
tains the parole possibility is not
the main reason he volunteered.
“I wanted to learn a trade
which would provide me with a
decent living after I’m discharg
ed,” he said. “By using the
knowledge I’ve gained through
this program, I feel I can become
a worthwhile citizen and stay out
of situations that got me where
I am now.”
Glite Watson feels training
programs such as he is enrolled
in will greatly reduce the high
rate of returnees after parole or
discharge.
“Without specialized training,
a man can’t get a job,” he noted.
“About the only thing available
before was chopping cotton, when
you were lucky enough to get
that. Without a job, a man has
to resort to illegal means of pro
viding for himself and his fam
ily, and I 'think this program will
allow men who want to gain their
self-respect to do so.”
Adan Rios, who was chosen
from a volunteer list of 50 in
mates, said he feels fortunate to
have been given the opportunity
to learn a decent trade.
“I feel, for once in my life,
that I’m accomplishing some
thing,” he said. “I believe I can
provide a better living when I
am discharged, and will have a
job I can be proud of.”
Smith resigns
as library head
John B. Smith, TAMU’s director
of libraries, has announced his
resignation, effective May 31, to
accept a position as dean of li
brary services and director of li
braries at State University of
New York at Stony Brook.
Smith has headed the TAMU
libraries for three years and has
been a members of the staff since
1966.
“We will certainly miss John
iSmith, who has done a remark
able job with our libraries,” noted
TAMU President Jack K. Wil
liams. “His new assignment is
an exciting bne aiid we wish his
all success.”
Prior to joining the TAMU li
brary, Smith was assistant law
librarian at Columbia University.
The College Station native is a
1960 TAMU graduate and 1963
graduate of the Columbia Univer
sity School of Library Service.
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The inmates in the training
program feel there is a need for
more classes, but James Jackson
expressed his frank opinion that
the public must be considered
above all else.
“TDC will have to be careful
about who they let into the pro
gram,” he said. “They can’t put
too many of us out in public at
one time, or the public wouldn’t
consider it safe.”
Thomas Horace believes the
training program says a lot for
the current trend in penal reform.
“With a lack of training, many
men resort to the same means of
‘making a living’ as they did be
fore they were sent to prison,”
Horace said. “When we are given
training like this, we feel some
one cares.”
Joe Hewett praised instructors
in the training program, saying
they are very patient with the
program participants.
“The staff is very safety-mind
ed here,” he noted. “They don’t
allow us to work with high volt
ages until they are sure we un
derstand what we are doing thor
oughly.”
Companies on the “outside”
are very receptive to the pro
gram, according to Hopson. He
said one firm has indicated a
willingness to hire all parolees
who have completed the course.
“Most power and cable compa
nies we have contacted show no
reservations about hiring the
men,” he continued, “as long as
they know the men can do the
job.”
Hopson pointed out that ap
proximately 90 per cent of the
inmates completing the course
are released on parole within a
short time after graduation. He
said those not released are em
ployed on TDC installations per
forming line work on high ten
sion lines and other electrical
utility facilities.
The lineman’s training program
at TAMU is only one of several
vocational programs offered by
the Engineering Extension Serv
ice for inmates. Other programs
include a heavy equipment oper
ator’s course in the summer, and
an annual water utilities course.
The inmates currently enrolled
in the program have been receiv
ing their “hands-on” training by
re-wiring electrical lines at the
Brayton Firemen’s Training Field
near the Texas A&M campus.
Course instructors reported
students have done a first-rate
job at the facility, replacing
lines and repairing tie-in poj,
and other areas on electrical lii
With the ultimate aim of o
inal justice being the reformai
of a criminal into a useful m
ber of society, perhaps in;
Ollie Watson sums up the
cess of the training pro|
best.
“I’m so proud to have a mi
trade,” he said quietly. ■%,
can say I know how to make
honest living.”
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