Inmates Blast Reformatory

Donahue Reaps Marysville Storm

By Raymond P. Hart

Staff Writer

MARYSVILLE -Viewers of "The Phil Donahue Show" are in for a jolt this morning (10:30 on Channel

8 in Cleveland).

It will come in the form of 60 inmates of the Ohio Reformatory for Women near here venting their anger and frustration in a noholds-barred gripe session. The inmates, chosen from among the 270 women confined at Ohio's only stateoperated facility for housing adult female offenders, barraged Donahue with an assortment of bitter charges.

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Inhumane treatment, the constant pressure of being branded a lesbian, unqualified staff members, lack of rehabilitation, lack of respect and poor contact with the outside world are just some of the allegations leveled.

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DONAHUE, A Clevelander, is hosting his talk show at the reformatory this week. Today's program was taped earlier in the week.

The Rev. Billy Graham will be the guest on tomorrow's live show. Miss Martha E. Wheeler, superintendent of the reformatory since 1958, and several staff members will inmates' respond to the charges on Friday's taped session.

The open discussion by inmates to be aired today ran 90 minutes and Donahue faces a monumental task in editing the remarks to fit into his hour-long show.

At the beginning of the gripe session. Donahue eminded the inmates that: "The administration has nothing to do with this program."

That was all the inmates needed to hear.

"THEY (staff members) no longer consider us human beings.' one said.

They say be a lady, but another commented.

We couldn't possibly function in society as we do here," said another.

One woman told of seeing an inmate struck in the face by a guard. "They wallowed with the girl in the snow and one of them hit her with his fist." the woman related, alleging that three guards had manhandled the inmate in front of the reformatory hospital.

As to staff members. one inmate asserted, "They're not qualified. They're used to working with animals and grass (evidently me ning area farmers).

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CHARGES OF being la-

GRIPE SESSION These are some of the 60 inmates at the Ohio Reformatory for Women who vent their anger at what they consider to be injustices at the institution on "The Phil Donahue Show" to be telecast at 10:30 a.m. today on Channel 8.

beled a lesbian without just cause was one of the stronger points brought out in the often emotional discussion.

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**If we associate with one girl too long, they say we're homosexual," allegation.

was

one

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"They don't say that,' Donahue replied. "Oh, yes they do," the women chorused.

"Doesn't the staff have the right to be on the lookout for this activity-" Donahue asked.

"THEY DON'T know the difference between friendship and homosexuality," an inmate snapped.

Concerning general behavior: "You don't know when you're good or bad." an inmate related. "They're

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not consistent in what they do."

It was charged that, "There is no rehabilitation here. It can make you hate authority."

"We want help," one woman said. “When we leave here, most of us re bitter."

"I'm going to rehabilitate me," another stated. "I'm not going to die here."

THE INMATES complained about visiting privileges. "If someone brings a visitor, he (who is not a visitor) has to leave the premises.

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When asked if friends can visit inmates, one replied: "it is possible if she's an inmate) liked in the right spot."

AP Wirephoto

Inmates say they can only receive one mailed package a year and that a better recreation program and improved medical care are needed.

The hostility shown in the gripe session belies the impression one gets on first viewing the institution. The sprawling buildings resemHle a small college set well back from the highway.

BUT THE FEELINGS inside the 59-year-old reformatory tell a far different story.

As Donahue said: "Prisons are only going to be what society wants them to be. All we can call this (today's program) is a beginning."