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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1987)
Page 8/The Battalion/Thursday, February 12, 1987 Texas prisons shut down after topping 95% limit Photo by Tracy Staton Dancin’ The Day Away music being played near Rudder "Tower to pro mote Alpha Phi Omega’s “Dance-A-Thon ’87.” Junior Colleen Cummings counts money from bal loon sales while freshman Jason Porter dances to HUNTSVILLE (AP) — The Texas prison system, open just two days alter slipping beneath a pop ulation cap, shut down again Wednesday after admitting some 700 inmates from county jails that were jammed from earlier state clos- ings.' It marked the second time in a week and the third time in a month that the nation’s second-largest cor rections system was forced to close its doors because a 95-percent legal capacity was topped. The 'Tuesday midnight head- count, announced Wednesday, showed 88,504 prisoners — 95.88 percent of capacity or 158 inmates over the limit. 'The latest closing came after a one-day record 455 inmates were admitted to the state system Tues day. Although business began Tues day with a 215-inmate cushion and the release of another 124 inmates, the record intake put the system over the top. At least another 200 inmates were added to the prison rolls Wednesday before the system closed ill 5 p.m., while only 74 were released. 'Those numbers, however, would not be re flected in the total system count until the Wednesday midnight prisoner tally was announced at midday to day. “I feel sure we’ll be closed Friday,” spokesman Charles brown said. “And 1 don’t know if we’ll have any (parole) certificates over the week end.” brown said another concent of the crowding crisis was that if the system remained over 95 percent ca pacity for live consecutive days, state law requires the governor to tie* lat e a prison emergency. Under that emergency, inmates classified as trustys and some other non-violent inmates would be ad vanced 80 clays “good time" toward their parole. He estimated, however, that only about 50 inmates would become eli gible for release under that provi sion, and it might Ik* necessary to go to the next step in the process — a 00-day good-lime advance to in crease an inmate pool and enable the system to gel under the 95-percent capacity and reopen. Those provisions are spelled out in the Prison Management Act of 1988. Passed in response totllefe judge’s prison reform mandate,iti act is responsible for setting theSj percent capon population. Also Wednesday, the state'sbi yers filed a 79-page Uriel with >th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeils New Orleans, asking the cotitt: overturn U.S. District JudgeWil Wayne Justice’s recent contempt! talion. Justice has ordered the slate c arry out prison reforms by Apii or lace lines totaling $‘24 million month. Attorney General |im Mattes the legal brief points out thatTeii has increased spending on ptis by 100 percent over the pi years. Baptist group says lottery could turn state i nto bookie “r Victim died of heart attack, not ‘Mickey Finn’ HOUSTON (AP) — A 40-year-old executive believed to be the victim of a “Mickey Finn” rob bery did not die from a drug slipped into his drink the night of his death, the Harris County medical examiner said. r .. Jimmy Charles Soladay of Palos Verdes, Calif., died oTa heart attack that was not con nected to a tiny amount of a sleep-inducing drug found in his stomach, said Dr. Joseph Jachimc- z.yk. The prescription drug, Lorezepan, had not had time to enter his blood stream when Soladay , Tiierf, jachitEiiwylf^^V r uGStla > ; - , “We d<fr k l<iy<mAle Was ail ideal candidate for a heart attack,” he said. .. , Autopsy results showed up to 70 percent blockage in some major blood vessels near Sola- day’s heart. Soladay was found Jan. 27 in a condominium owned by Houston-based Great Western Re source. Evidence indicated Soladay was the target of a “Mickey Finn” robbery. Such robberies, police say, usually involve prostitutes who pick up affluent men in bars, slip them a sleep-inducing drug and then rob them. Witnesses said Soladay was last seen alive late Jan. 26, entering the condo with three women. The women left without him less than an hour later. > ./ Houston Police Sgt. Doug Osterberg said one woman has told officers that she and two others picked up Soladay at a bar, then later t<x>k his Rolex watch and a large amount of cash from his wallet. She has been charged with the thefts, but po lice said they do not expect to file further charges in the Soladay’s death. Another woman belived to have been with So laday at the time of his death is being held on a theft charge in another alleged “Mickey Finn” case, police said. Vice division records indicate there were 130 similar type cases in 1986, and officers said there probably were other victims who were too em- barrased to report the thef ts. AUSTIN (AP) — Proposals for a state-run lottery would turn the state government into a bookmaker that encourages citizens to gamble away their money, officials of the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission said Wednesday. Phil Strickland, commission direc tor, said the organization would op pose bills before the Legislature this year which would enable Texas to join the list of states operating a lot tery. He said lotteries are highly regres sive taxes on people who can’t afford it and are an inefficient way f or gov ernment to raise revenues. With a lottery, Strickland said, “You are committed as a matter of jjublic policy to going out and get ting as many people to lose their money as possible. The more folks that go out and lose their money, the better off the state’s going to be in terms of taxes.” Although several public opinion polls have indicated substantial |>op- ular support among Texansfel lottery, commission official Ware said he believes many ptcl haven't thought through all tnetJ ifications. "People in Texas might bek| to let tjeople gamble," Wared “But if thev really think abotij they’re not interested in havinj state be the* big Ixiokie.” Whil e some lawmakers havt beled a lottery as a “painless’! Stric kland said the social costs! enormous. “It is not painless,” he said. Ware saicl a study alter thefc days of the recently enactedCi nia lottery indicated that25pffil of the heavy l)ettors were pel making less than $15,000annuiSl Ware also noted that estimate die ate a lottery would generatt million in revenue for the stattj first year and $300 million ihj one!., This vyouldn’t hell) the with its projected $5.8 billion bi| de l w it. hr said. #MSC ALL NIGHT FAIR RELIVES I THE PROHIBITION WITH BUD LIGHT KKYS, FM105 CUSTOM SILK SCREENING FEBRUARY 21, 1987 8 p.m. to 2 a.in. MEMORIAL STUDENT CENTEK CARNIVAL BOOTHS CONTEST & PRIZES NON-ALCHOLIC BAR DANCING CAFE Admission $1 Tickets 10^ ea