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THE BATTALION
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1981
Local /State
L<
Texas prisons in most violent year
United Press International
Eleven inmates in the Texas
prison system have been slain by
other prisoners this year, and dis
turbances are up over past years,
but the director of the Texas De
partment of Corrections says he is
not in a position to point fingers.
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11:00-2:00 P.M.
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5:00-10:00 P.M.
404 E. UNIVERSITY
“Tm not an elected official and
do not have the luxury to speak out
in the way some officials can,”
W.J. Estelle Jy. said, referring to
remarks made by Gov. Bill Cle
ments and State Attorney General
Mark White that linked reforms
ordered by a federal judge with
increased violence.
“My primary concern is the
safety of inmates and staff,” he
said. “Any conclusions somebody
else might make under these cir
cumstances are strictly his own,
not mine.”
The 11 slayings this year are
more than twice the number for
each of the previous two years,
and the number of prisoner deaths
is 82, up from 50 in 1980.
Furthermore, 11 inmate dis
turbances have occurred since
June — more than twice the num
ber in each of the past eight years.
In one week this month, violence
flared at three prisons, resulting in
injuries to 70 guards and inmates
and damaging at least $300,000 in
property.
After a Nov. 20 melee at the
TDC Eastham Farm Unit about
20 miles north of Huntsville,
White called the situation “very
dangerous and serious, directly
attributable to the actions of the
federal court that has given pris
oners the mistaken notion that
they do not need to obey the rules
and regulations of the prison
system.”
Meanwhile, Clements said the
blame for the disturbances lies di
rectly on special master Vincent
Nathan, who was appointed by
U.S. District Judge William
Wayne Justice of Tyler to monitor
compliance with the judge’s order
in April.
White said last week he never
blamed Justice or Nathan for incit
ing violence, but rather that pris
oners have used the ruling and
Nathan’s staff of monitors as an
excuse for violence.
An attorney representing in
mates in the 10-year-old lawsuit
against TDC said the prisoners
feel this way.
“It is the prisoners’ perception
that the court order is being
violated, and it happens to be a
100 percent accurate perception,”
attorney William Bennett Turner
said. “When the system becomes
the lawbreaker, what reason do
the prisoners have to follow the
law?”
Huntsville prison spokesman
Rick Hartley said:
“The way we see it, you have six
incidents fom January of 1973 to
June of 1981. June of 1981 to now,
you have 11. In April, we get a
federal court order from Judge
Justice, and about June a special
master and monitors come on line.
“I think there is a statistical
corollary between those facts and
those numbers.”
Estelle said resources have not
kept pace with the population. He
said the number of prisoners has
increased from 15,000 10 years
ago to the present 31,400.
Also, the concentration of vio
lent criminals in the prisons is
growing, he said, because of com
munity programs offering an alter
native to prison for non-violent
offenders.
Justice ruled the prison system
must reduce overcrowding, in
crease its work-furlough program
and allow prisoners in solitary con
finement and administrative seg
regation time for exercise.
The case is now before the 5th
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in
New Orleans.
f
.77
77
LAMBDA SIGMA
XMAS TREE SALE
DEC. 1-9
Corps sponsors
needy child
By MARY JO RUMMEL
Come by
and pick up
a tree!
3-4- FT.
*9
SJ-3 FT.
oo
Battalion Staff
The spirit of brotherhood and
camaraderie in the Corps of
Cadets is being expanded into
the role of “big brothers” to an
underprivileged child.
The Corps is sponsoring a
child through the Christian
Children’s Fund, Corps Cha
plain Ken Hahn said.
The Christian Children’s
Fund is a non-denominational
organization that links sponsors
with underprivileged children
of the world, English Professor
Robert S. Kellner said. He has
worked with the Fund for sev
eral years.
“It is not an anonymous char
ity,” Kellner said. After the
money is sent in, the sponsor
communicates with the child
through letters and photo
graphs.
The project is being headed
by the Corps chaplains from
each outfit. This is the first time
the Corps as a whole has done
this type of project, Hahn said.
Hahn said the chaplains will
meet this week to discuss how
they expect to collect the
money for the project. The
drive will be held during dead
week, Dec. 7 though 11.
"It costs a sponsor $18 a
month or just $260 a year to
make sure a child receivesfooc’
and care,” Kellner said.‘Hu
comes out to about 10 ceali
from each cadet. The Corpi
project will sponsor a childh
one full year.
Ultimately, the sponsor!
money is spent on food, 4
thing and some education Sj
the child, Kellner said.
He added that without tin
financial help of the sponson,
many families could not sto
together. The children livet
home but go to the centerslj
food and classes.
It takes about two weeks afet
the money is sent in tofmdot!
who the child being sponsor®
is, Kellner said. The childrens
the program range from ii
to teenagers.
Christian Childrens Finn!
was established in 1938 and
now helping 242,000 childm
from 20 countries including!k
United States. The program
working on a special drive b
add 14,000 more children.He
Fund’s headquarters is ii
mond, Va.
Each year the Corps sponsor
the March to the Brazos to lie
nefit the March of Dimes, bi
this project is more than donj
ing money, Hahn said.
3ggH|
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The Used Ones You Do Have
LOU NEEDS
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inger
look S
OO
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Northgate —
At the corner
across from the
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aTm LOUPOT'S aTm
£1
OFF CAMPUS CORNER
(At The Corner Across From The Post Office)
//
Vacation Crime
Off Campus Corner
. . . What Is It?
Hopefully you've heard of
the Off Campus Center. We're
that office in the Department of
Student Affairs which helps to
meet the needs of A&M's
25,000 off campus students.
Many off campus students
tell us that they don't know
about campus events, and they
feel left out... So, the Off
Campus Center and Loupot's
Bookstore are bringing you a
monthly column in the Battal
ion to help you stay aware of
activities both on and off cam
pus. We wish to give a special
thanks to Loupot for his con
tinued support and interest in
the Texas A&M Aggies.
"Off Campus Corner" will
contain articles and tips about
off campus living and a calen
dar of upcoming events. We
would like to include a ques
tion and answer section. Please
submit your questions and
comments about off campus
living, as well as your sugges
tions for the column itself. You
may need information about
subleasing, lease obligations or
any other topic. To submit
questions or ideas, stop by the
Off Campus Center or mail
them to our office.
The Off Campus Center is
located in Puryear Hall, direct
ly across from the YMCA
Building. Our phone number
is 845-1741. Drop by or call be
tween 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Mon
day through Friday.
5) ^ ^-1 1 P
Off Campus Calendar
OFF CAMPUS AGGIES: Announcing the first annual
OCA Christmas Semi-Formal, Friday, December 4. 8
p.m. - 1 a.m. Bryan Lulac Hall; Dance to the "Texas
Nuggets." Tickets available at Rudder Box Office
$8.00/couple.
ROOMMATE SESSION: The Off Campus Center is
holding roommate sessions on the following dates, from
3:00-4:00 p.m.: December 7-11, 14, 15 and January 11-15,
18, 19. Please call for more information. 845-1741.
OFF CAMPUS AGGIES: First general meeting for the
spring semester. January 27, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
Rudder 701.
ON ALL AGGIE
CHRISTMAS GIFTS!
The Christmas Season is almost here and this means a
vacation for students! Many of you will be traveling over the
holidays leaving your apartment, house, or mobile home
unattended.
The Off Campus Center would like to remind all off
campus students that holidays, unfortunately, are prime
time for burglaries. Several apartment complexes in the
Bryan/College Station area have some type of security, but
the extent and effectiveness of this security varies greatly
from complex to complex. Some housing has no security at
all.
Therefore, you need to take an active part in protecting
your property against crime. Take some precautions and
follow some simple security steps to help insure a Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year.
1. Strong locks are the single best deterrent to break-
ins. Use a rod to lock a sliding glass door or
window.
2. Do not leave keys outside your apartment. If you
can find them, so can an intruder.
3. Never leave notes indicating that you are away.
4. Keep an inventory of your valuable possessions,
listing model numbers, serial numbers, and brand
names. Send a copy to parents or a relative.
5. "Operation ID" is a program supported by your
local police department in which you engrave
your Texas driver's license number on valuable
items. An engraver may be checked out from the
Campus Police.
6. You may wish to use an automatic (on-off) timer
on a lamp. Timers can be purchased for as little as
$6.00.
7. Stop all deliveries including mail and news
papers.
8. If possible, ask a trusted friend to watch your
place. Be sure to leave a number where you can be
reached in case of an emergency.
9. Take valuables with you if at all possible: especial
ly TVs, stereos, sewing machines, cameras,
typewriters and bikes.
10. Don't panic if your apartment has been entered.
Contact the police and the manager immediately.
Do not "tidy up". The smallest detail could offer
valuable information to police in their investiga
tion.
We urge you to check with your apartment manager or
property owner prior to the installation of any security
device and for additional security steps.
For brochures and other information on Crime Prevention,
contact the Police Department or come by the Off Campus
Center.
10% OFF
Loupot's Off Campus Corner is sponsored each month by
Loupot's Bookstore at Northgate as a service to Texas A&M stu
dents. Stories and artwork are provided by the staff of the Off
Campus Center.
msc hospitality presents a
The hi
dans fi
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Broadv
reetion
HOLIDAY FASHION
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Lt. C
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the per
7=00-9 : 00 ^
MSC BALLROOM
RM 201
TICKETS-75
AVAILABLE AT D0(
MSC
presents
Camera
Biomedical
Photography
Ruth Tunnell
Director of Photo Services
- Medical School
Tuesday
Dec. 1 7:30
504 Rudder
Oil
will inc
trio am
(male v
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i&ht ai
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