Lucasville's Inmates Strive for Harmony

By Richard C. Widman

· Staff Writer

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LUCASVILLE, new school that the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction has boasted about at Ohio's big new prison here is not open, vocational training equipment has not been installed and medical facilities are primitive.

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Although the Ohio Correctional Facility-which eventually is to replace the outmoded Ohio Penitentiary--received

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its

first prisoners last September, it is not yet ready for them.

Despite the discouraging conditions, convicts are pinning their hopes on a new self-help and rehabilitation program which they organized themselves.

THEY CALL IT the "unity movement."

W. J. Whealon, superintendent of the Lucasville prison who is much praised by the convicts for his efforts in attempting to operate a progressive prison despite the handicaps, said he was not given enough money to meet the prison's needs for medical facilities and security and maintenance. as well as the planned educational and rehabilitation programs.

About $2.4 million would do it, he said.

Gov. John J. Gilligan said the guards renamed "correctional officers" to soften their image would receive sensitivity training and would be issued blue blazers and grey flannels.

THE CORRECTIONAL officers have not received their new uniforms and they still are called "guards."

The prison opened last September.

Present inmate population is about 700. Ultimately it will reach about 1,400. Convicts are angry about conditions here.

Many say they would like to get involved in rehabilitation programs.

They would like to learn a job that they could use to make a life when they are released from prison.

But there are prison jobs for only about 200 inmates.

THE REST HAVE nothing to do but idle the day away.

Bitter about what they say is the failure of Gilligan and Bennett J. Cooper, director of the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, to live up to promises to move speedily on reform of Ohio prisons, convicts here decided to do as much as they could for themselves.

Their unity movement, for self-help and rehabilitation, is the outcome of intensive organizational effort among the inmates.

The movement is based on the concept of peace and harmony, and it has a code of ethics:

• No sexual assaults.

• No robbing.

• No informing.

The Lucasville convicts are proud of their unit program and hope the movement will spread to other prisons throughout the country.

Seid Harold J. Conti. a Lucasville prison inmate:

"WE'RE TRYING to show the governor that we can be men. not animals.

We feel that what we're doing is a message to him that he'd better do his part, or there will be trouble here."

The convicts believe their code of ethics is responsible for the record of only five stabbings, and no murders, among the prison populaion in the first five months.

Kelly Chapman, a convict, said "There have been ripoff attempts, but no rapes. We were able to stop them."

The convicts have organized an investigating team charged with the responsibility of digging into the causes of trouble and trying to stop it before it occurs.

Three convict courts sit in judgment on the facts determined by the investigating team and the courts' decisions are binding.

CONVICTS INVOLVED in a dispute are forced to sign "contracts" agreeing not to engage in aggression against each other.

The rule against informing abolishes the "snitch system" which guards at the Ohio Penitentiary and other state prisons have long used to help control the inmates.

It has resulted in frequent stabbings and many murders among the prisoners.

The members of the many factions among the inmates at the Lucasville prison have negotiated treaties that wipe out old hates and fears.

BECAUSE THE treaties patch over gulfs in racial and religious differences, not easy they were

achieve.

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But it has been accomplished, with the approval of the prison's administration, and the inmates believe they have created something unique in America's prisons.

Groups that have agreed to the treaties include the Sunni Muslims, the Black Coalition, Jewish Community, Universal Law, Black Muslims, the Gay Liberation, and the Breeds, a mo torcycle gang with origins in Cleveland.

The Sunni Muslims have more restrictive code than the rest of the inmates.

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THEIR CODE also says: "No pills, no gambling, no homosexual activity."

Members of the sect are required to attend a school organized by the inmates themselves. Courses include elementary history and the Arabic language.

Whealon said he does not fear the convicts will become so unified that their organization would pose a threat to the security of the prison.

We are happy to see them negotiate among themselves to prevent trouble." he said.

The administration brings us their problems." Chapman said.

"WE TOLD THEM when they came here that this is a new deal. that the slate would be wiped clean." Whealon continued. "We don't want the snitch system. Informing is diabolical. It has killed countries. and it has killed prisons."

Some convicts in other prisons awaiting transfer to Lucasville fear the move because they expect trouble with old enemies at the new institution.

They have nothing to be afraid of. Conti explained. We tell them everything is

forgotten; but they must cooperate."

WHEALON SAID the convicts courts "are not kangaroo courts."

"We're not oppressors; we're not gangs," said Conti. "This isn't an underground operation. This is for peace and harmony. We've got to keep harmony so they (guards and the prison administration) won't oppress us.

"We've got to get ourselves together, if we can,

to keep down homosexual rapes and killings. If we can keep it down, we can hange the atmosphere, and there won't be any rioting.

"We know that if we take advantage of our brothers, we're hurting ourselves. If we can eliminate the anger and frustration we will be in a better frame of mind to cooperate with just rehabilitation programs.

IN THE PAST we've been a threat to ourselves." said convict Delmar Felton.

"We're doing this for ourselves, not the administration."

Billy Murphy, who has a reputation as one of the toughest inmates in the prison, said, "I didn't think this unity thing would ever happen, or that I would want to be a part of it. But I'm in it.'

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"I've been vicious," Conti said. "I've been in that bag, but I got out of it. Self-criticism is good."

The convicts have consid-

erable praise for Whealon's attitude of listening to convicts' grievances and for the manner in which he is running the prison.

"Some of the good things are the open communication that is allowed here," Conti said, "Whealon's open-minded policy in letting a reporter in, and the fact that they've let more than two or three inmates get together to meet." NEXT: Drugs at Lucasville.

W. J. WHEALON