Sex Outlet Is Urged for Inmates

By JOHN BEABER

Staff Writer

COLUMBUS Conjugal visits by wives and elimination of rigid prison restrictions soon will be suggested to Ohio correctional authorities to improve rehabilitation of inmates in Ohio Penitentiary.

Some religious leaders

and criminologists in Ohio believe the "punitive" approach of present state prison authorities dehumanizes inmates and creates more pressures, sex problems and tensions than already imposed on 3,500 inmates by ancient facilities of the 134year-old structure.

A preliminary report on recommendations will be submitted in May to the

Board of Christian Social lack of rehabilitation proc esses and the unwilling-

Concerns of the Ohio Conferences of the Methodist Church by the Rev. Thomas E. Sagendorf of Powhatan Point, Belmont County.

THE BOARD commissioned him to make a study after he and other Methodist leaders with access to the prison became alarmed at what they consider the

ness of prison authorities to change their rigid approach.

The Rev. Mr. Sagendorf was one of four religious interns at the penitentiary last summer who took part in a clinical pastoral training program conducted by the prison chaplain and approved by the prison administration.

He now is barred from visiting or exchanging mailwith inmates, although prison administrators indicated they have not closed the door to reinstatement of the privileges.

The Rev. Mr. Sagendorf believes conjugal visits would be a major advance to meet the sexual problem among inmates. He says a homosexual mood envelops almost all inmates. ·

“I REALIZE the moral issues that rise in considering conjugal visits," he said, "But we must remember that a man's sex drives do not end when they close the prison gates behind him."

In an interview at his home last week, the Rev. Mr. Sagendorf said, “Christian gospel teaches that people do not use one another. Since a man actually would Continued on Page 25, Col. 1