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KANSAN
University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas
The University Daily
Tuesday, March 9, 1982
Vol. 92, No. 112 USPS 650-640
m. Vernon State Dontionlariye at I canine was haul mostly in the 1850s. The outdated urism is now faced with problems of overcrowding and deterioration.
BOB GREENSPAN Kansan Staff
Lifers' Club feels violence in Lansing's pulse
By KEVIN HELLIKER Staff Reporter
LANSING—The activities room at the Kansas State Pentitary is in the basement of a cellhouse, below water pipes that hammer loudly at tense, irregular intervals.
Ordered down to the windowless room last November, two guards refused to stand among the prisoners there without emergency radio equipment. Prison officers fired the guards.
Robert "Red" Singleton, convicted of first-degree robbery, aggravated kidnapping and sundry other crimes, shook hands with the police. "Do you think Wayne Williams is guilty?"
The visitors shook their heads.
"What do you think?" another asked Singleton.
john Sullivan, president of the Lifers Club, quelled the sudden discussion of Williams, who was convicted this month for two murders in Atlanta, by calling the night's meeting to order.
The prisoners, about 30 of them, obediently sat in neat rows and clapped as Sullivan walked up to a lectern. They clipped after he introduced the visitors, they clapped after the club secretary read the minutes from the last meeting.
THEY EVEN clapped after Sullivan discussed the matter of affairs™ of the treasury, which had 861 led.
Then the visitors took the stand.
"I've never conducted an interview like this,"
an unbiased
"I've never done anything like this," the other responded.
The prisoners scooted to the edges of their seats, all of them dressed in blue cotton prison clothes. However, each of them had individualized his outfit.
A string of beads, including artificial animal teeth, hung nearly to Singleton's waist. Some of the prisoners wore caps advertising Jack Daniels whiskey or the New York Yankees. Others wore headbands around shoulder-length hair.
NEARLY ALL of them sat back in their seats
when asked whether prison conditions would improve under new director Gary Ravl.
"Who's Mr. Ray?!" asked Eldon Donahue, a "literer" with about nine years under his belt at Lansing. "It ain't changed much under him. Prison is not about making things better.
"Deprivation—that's what it's about. Any changes they will make to be our detriment."
Suddenly more prisoners raised their hands
than could be called on. They complained about the guards 'constant provocation,' made more
See Keifer and boy jink
intense eye and stabbing of Robert Hurt, an officer at the prison
"The guy (Hard) constantly harassed people." Donagh said.
SHORTLY BEFORE Osborne stabbed Hurd, a food supervisor three hot coffee in Osborne's face, Donahue said. The incident stemmed from an argument that started when the supervisor told Osborne that no food was left for him, Donahue said.
who stabbed Hard, committed the act because he no longer could stand any harassment from him.
Donahue said that Mark Osborne, the prisoner
The Lansing problem at a glance
- March 17, 1981—A prison emergency team, armed with shotguns and batons, is called into Kansas State Penitentiary to return 1,000 inmates to their cells after they walk off their jobs protesting a change in canteen policy. It is the first time the specially trained unit is used to quell an uprising at Larsing.
- March 19, 1981—The maximum-security prison is locked down when 250 inmates, still protesting the policy change, refuse to leave breakfast and go to work.
- March 28, 1981 - Secretary of Corrections Pat McMann testifies before the Legislature that Kansas prisons are operating at 100 percent capacity and predicts an increase in prison population. The Senate Ways and Means Committee approves $22,000 for preliminary planning of a 300-bed, medium-security prison next to KSP.
- Sept. 6, 1981—Seven inmates, including five convicted murderers, escape from KSP.
Serious questions arise about security at the 117-year-old prison.
- Sept. 9, 1981—Gov. John Carlin asks the excavation of investigation to investigate the excavations.*
- Sept. 13, 1981 - The last of the seven escapes captured are convicts after a week-long investigation.*
- Sept. 29, 1981 - A KSP prisoner is stabbed to death by a fellow inmate.
- Sept. 30, 1981—Gov. Carlin asks the Legislature for $ to $8 million supplementary appropriations to speed construction of a medium-security prison.
- Oct. 11, 1982—KSP guard Robert Hurd is
stabbed to death while writing a disciplinary report on an inmate who refuses to return to his cell. Mark Osborne, a "lifer," is later charged with first-dgree murder. A report is released containing interviews with nine KSP prisoners who mutilated themselves during March and April. KSP Director Robert Atkins instructed all multigenerational common human behavior."
- Oct. 12, 1981—A full-scale shakedown of KSP by guards produces 22 potential weapons. At least forty guards refuse to begin the afternoon shift until they talk with our Athlete about prison security problems. KSP is under lockdown for eight days.
- Oct. 13, 1981—KSP guard presents a list of 28 grievances to Gov. Carlin and state prison officials. The requests include stricter laws on government security system and better pay and benefits.
- Oct. 15, 1981—Gov. Carlin officially fires Robert Aktman, prison director, and Robert Nye, deputy director for operations. Guards and security officers to voice concerns about prison security.
- Oct. 14, 1981 - A crowd of hundreds,
the funeral of murdered prison guard L.J. Burd.
of murdered prison guard L.J. Burd.
- Oct. 22, 1981 - Ed Barrick, spokesman for Ku-ku forces, resigns, citing political pressure from the United States.
- Oct. 28, 1981 - KSP guards form the
employees of an employee association named for Hurt.
- Nov. 3, 1981—Two KSP guards are fired
after refusing to supervise inmate activity in areas not equipped with radios.
- Nov. 25, 1981—A KSP guard is slightly
aware when a convict attacks him with a
knife.
- Nov. 26, 1981—Nine KSP guards are suspended by prison officials for refusing to return to work until security problems are solved.
- Nov. 29, 1891 - Seventy guests meet with legislators in Brussels to protest lack of KSP.
- Dec. 9, 1981—The Kansas Corrections Department officially fires nine KSP guards.
- Dec. 19, 1981 - Children of relatives of past and present KSP guards gather outside the Topeka capitol in below-freezing temprature to ensure their suture's slow progress on guard's requests.
- *Jan. 25, 1982-Nine inmates on a hunger strike. They want sanitary conditions.*
- Feb. 3, 1892—Gary Rayl takes over as KSP prison director.
*Feb. 4, 1982—Inmates and their hunger strike after a meeting with the new director Rayl. About 24 legislators tour Lansing prison to investigate security situations and consider a construction site for a medium-security prison next to KSP.
*Feb. 9, 1982—Six of the nine fired KSP
guards are reinstated by the Kansas Civil
- Feb. 11, 1982—Two Lansing prison burns burn-set on fire by a convicted man.
Osborne is now in solitary confinement. But, Donahue said, "The officers are going around saying that guy's going to have an accident in here."
The problem with food shortages is severe at the prison, other prisoners said.
Singleton added, "Every two out of three people that goes through the food line gets foreign objects in their food—like sticks, glass, hair."
ONE PRISONER, saying he could not identify himself because he had a case pending in a Kansas court, said, "To put it in general terms, we have 367 prisoners, 294 prisoners, by the administration and the guards.
"We get violently shook down about six times a day. This constant provocation is going to make the dog feel scared."
"You can't beat a guy over the head constantly and expect him to take it."
and expect him to take Donahue disagreed
"After a while, seems like nothing bothers you anymore," he said. "Your emotions just fade."
"You can walk out there on the yard and see a guy getting beat up or killed. You just keep on walking, laughing doing whatever you were doing."
One prisoner, speaking incoherently, grew angry when asked to give up the floor. Some other prisoners held back his shoulders and told him to calm down.
Sullivan stepped in and announced a break in the meeting, during which refreshments were served. Singleton broke through a crowd of protesters and released two roaches at the visitor's feet.
"They're everywhere," he said. "In your bed, in your food. The guard's spray water at them."
MANY OF the prisoners who had not yet spoken approached the visitors now and shyly introduced themselves. When Sullivan announced the meeting would resume, the victims sat down.
Now the prisoners complained about overcrowding.
They admitted that until a new institution was built, little could be done to alleviate overcrowding at the penitentiary, most of which was built during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln.
But if prisoners had to share cells designed for one person, the officials at least could consider a shared cell.
See PRISON page 5
Area living cheapest in state
By JAN BOUTTE
Staff Reporter
The cost of living in Lawrence was 8.3 percent lower than the national average at the end of last year, according to the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association.
For every dollar that Lawrence residents spend on the necessities of life, New Yorkers must spend $1.42 for the same goods.
Even in Manhattan, Kan., consumers pay more for food, housing and other necessities than they did before.
The cost of living in Lawrence was lower than any other city in Kansas included in the index, Linda Sheppard, coordinator of the survey for Commerce Chamber of Commerce, said yesterday.
Lawrence was ranked at 91.7 by the surveyors, who assigned a 100 ranking to the cities with the highest scores.
THE INDEX was based on 44 consumer goods and services that the participating cities surpassed.
Nationally, New York had the highest cost of living, indexed at 134.4.
was the closest to that of Lawrence. Hutchinson followed at 99.5.
Sneppard said that Lawrence's low index could encourage people and businesses to relocate in Lawrence.
She said the survey results were valuable as a tool for comparison for persons moving in or out of our facility.
The cost of living in Manhattan, rated at 96.1.
Kansas City, Kan., costs were above the average city's, at 102.7, and Wichita's rating was
LAWRENCE HOUSING and health care costs were considerably below the average. The health care cost ratio is 45%.
Six categories of the goods and services also were ranked in the survey.
The cost of groceries in Lawrence was 8.2 below the average at 91.8, and transportation costs were $57.3.
"A lot of times individuals moving into Lawrence are interested in that type of in-
Lawrence utility costs were close to the average, good for a good deal, and were given the same ranking.
Sheppard said the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce would continue to participate in the survey, which included more than 236 cities of all sizes across the country.
Weather
WINDY
It will be partly cloudy today, with the high in the 58s. Winds will be gusty today, changing to the south tonight, the low tonight will be 30 degrees.
Tomorrow will be partly cloudy and warmer with temperatures in the low 60s.
Med Center administrators required to attend seminar
officials, promised earlier this year to settle Med Center hire difficulties.
By TOM HUTTON Staff Reporter
KANSAS CITY, Kan.-After several discrimination complaints and a recent federal investigation of hiring policies at the University of Kansas Medical Center, a mandatory affirmative action seminar for administrators will begin Saturday.
Williams said the requirement that ad-
ministrators attend the seminar had been
reduced.
Budig. who meets weekly with Med Center
"It is important that top management be sensitive to the many different discrimination issues that come up everyday," Budig said yesterday.
The seminar will cover both racial and sexual discrimination. The directors of the hospital and the deans of the schools in the College of Health Sciences will be required to attend the seminar, Melvin Williams, director of affirmative action programs at the Med Center, said recently.
At least seven Med Center employees have filed grievances alleging discrimination since 1977. In these complaints, some facility and operations employees alleged that black employees had been verbally harassed and denied employment by white supervisors and administrators.
ONE OF THE methods Budig has used to solve discrimination problems is to meet with leaders of black and Hispanic communities and with minority employees at the Med Center. Budig estimated that he has met with minority leaders at least eight times since last summer.
Williams said that the meetings with minorities were examples of 'guiding' its desire to be more inclusive and welcoming. It did not offer
"Budig seems to be following through on the things he said he was going to," Williams said. "I think the necessary changes are going to be made."
Earlier this year, discrimination allegations were made against the Med Center by State Rep. Katherine McCormack.
Williams said that he believed Justice had
ams said that he believed Justice had
See DISCRIMINATION page 5