Page 10 THE BATTALION
FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1981
State
Put 1,500 inmates in tents
Clements offers prison plan
United Press International
AUSTIN — Gov. Bill Clements
proposed Thursday an unpre
cedented plan to place 1,500 in
mates from Texas’ overcrowded
prisons in tent encampments and
parole another 1,500 to halfway
houses by July 1.
The governor said at his weekly
news conference the plan would
“get all of our inmates off the floor
by July 1.” He also said the plan
would aid the state in getting a
stay on a court injunction mandat
ing action on the overcrowding.
“If they’re (the tents) are good
enough for the Army personnel, if
they’re good enough for the
Take the $25.00
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Marines, if they’re good enough
for our National Guard, I see no
reason by they’re not good enough
for the inmates of our prisons,”
Clements said.
According to Clements, the
plan was worked out during the
last two days in meetings with Jim
Estelle, the director of the Texas
Department of Corrections,
Speaker Bill Clayton, Attorney
General Mark White and Lt. Gov.
Bill Hobby.
“There is no doubt that we are
in a crisis situation — a situation
that was not chosen the by the
elected officials of this state or its
citizens,” Clements said in a state
ment.
Under the proposal, tents
obtained from either the Army or
the National Guard would be set
up inside security perimeters in
prison yards.
Six to eight prisoners would be
housed in each of the tents from
the beginning of summer until ab
out Nov. 1 when additional hous
ing is expected to be ready. The
state is building temporary hous
ing for 2,800 inmates with $35 mil
lion in emergency funds already
appropriated by the Legislature.
Clements said he already has a
list of volunteer inmates who
would like to live in the tents.
Clements, who said he had
spent “much of his time in a tent,”
said cots would be placed in the
tents and board floors installed.
He said he had been insured the
plan would require very little
additional security forces.
“I think the courts will agree
this is a reasonable solution under
the circumstances. We are trying
to demonstrate our good faith to
the courts. I mean that with a full
sense of integrity.”
On the parole plan, Clements
said he hoped 750 inmates would
be in the halfway houses by June 1
and another 750 by July 1. The
conditional parole plan would be
operated by the Texas Board of
Pardons and Paroles.
Only prisoners considered low
security risks would be placed in
the houses and would be moni
tored constantly. The majority of
the state’s halfway houses are in
Dallas, San Antonio, Houston and
Fort Worth.
Those inmates placed in the
houses would have to contract
with the pardons and parole board
to make restitution to the victims
of their crime; stay a minimum of
six months in the halfway house,
and reimburse the state for the
cost of their stay to what extent
possible.
A bill currently in the House
would facilitate the plan, Cle
ments said. However, he said it
would be amended to take out a
provision that would allow fur
loughed prisoners to return to
take jobs and live with their fami
lies.
Photos by Dan C. Stir
Prepared for anything!
Michael Matus, a fire protection assistant
at the Texas A&M University Safety and
Health Office, and Lawrence Washington
(background) demonstrate the proper use
of dry chemical fire extinguishers behinl
the Reed-McDonald building. They put®
fire safety demonstrations for buildingpei
sonnel all over campus Wednesday.
United
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United Press International
HOUSTON — Two large in
vestment companies threatened
to withdraw their money-market
funds from Texas if a law is passed
requiring a percentage of their de
posits be put in reserve with the
state.
Merrill Lynch & Co. and
Dreyfus Corp., which manage
one-fourth of all money-market
assests in the country, responded
harshly Wednesday to proposed
legislation by state Sen. Bill
Meier, D-Euless, that would put
money-market funds in Texas
under state banking rules.
Meier said because money-
market funds currently earn
almost three times the interest
that passbook savings account
earn and because they are siphon
ing money out of banking institu
tions, he was urged to propose
legislation to put the funds under
state regulation.
State senators said Wednesday
they have received an unpre
cedented flood of calls and letters
in opposition to the law since
Meier introduced his proposal last
week.
“This bill is intended to cause
withdrawals. I think that’s exactly
what Senator Meier has in iroii ^ ‘ r
said Lawrence Greene, legal* 3 *^ cu (
president for Dreyfuss. TB ln “y w '”
couldn’t operate one set of nj e 1 !) ev (J 31
for Texas shareholders
another set for the rest
country. That would pen!
everyone outside of Texas.”
A spokesman for Merrill Lji
said reserve requirements “wd
greatly inhibit the fund’s abilil
maximize rates of return on si
term investments.”
After a hearing Wednesday
spired largely by money-fii
byists, Meier pulled back,
for a public hearing on his amei
ment. He said the purpose of! |
proposal is to give investon
“safety net” because
market funds are ’TOO percent
risk, and investors should
nv •
Jl\
ne’f
some protection.
Texas money-market sharekj
ders number about 2
have invested $5.6 billion, orf
out 5 percent of the $118 billion;
assets currently in money-mark
funds nationwide.
Merrill Lynch manages
money-market hinds totalingE breed th
out $25 billion. Dreyfuss’mof beyrenev
market fund totals about $5.1! ^at’s bee;
lion.
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