HIGHACRES COLLEGIAN, FEB. 1, 1971--PAGE THREE
Coddling criminals?
Those who feel that one of America's law and order
problems is in the coddling of criminals should read the January
18th Time magazine feature "The Shame of the Prisons." Jails
and prisons in America can certainly not be said to "coddle"
those convicted--or suspected—of crimes. After pointing out that
52 percent of the inhabitants of our nation's jails are awaiting
trial and thus are not yet convicted of any crime (four out of five
of such persons, by the way, are eligible for bail but cannot raise
the cash) the Time story describes the current plight of the
incarcerated with these words: ". . . Leaving the courtroom,
where his rights were scrupulously respected, the felon has a good
chance of being banished to one of the 187 escape-proof
fortresses, 61 of them buit before 1900. Now stripped of most
rights, he often arrives in chains and becomes a number. His head
sheared, he is led to a bare cage dominated by a toilet. In many
states his cellmate may represent any kind of human
misbehavior--a doicle forger, a vicious killer, an agressive
homosexual."
"In this preverse climate," Time magazine continues, "he
(the prisoner) is expected to become socially responsible but is
given no chance to do so. He is told when to wake up, eat and
sleep; his letters are censored, his visitors sharply limited. His days
are spent either in crushing idleness or at jobs that do not exist in
the 'free world'. . . Everything is privilege, including food, that
can be taken away by his keepers."
The result is a mockery of the concept of "rehabilitation."
Nearly half of the nation's released inmates (as high as 75 percent
in some areas) are back behind bars within five years often for
worse crimes than they committed the first time around. Prisons
in America today CREATE criminals rether than CURE
them. Real devotion to the concept of 'rehabilitation, rather than
just lip service, is the answer to part of America's law and order
problem. From the first day the convicted man enters a
penitentiary, he must be encouraged and enabled to submit his
pattern of behavior to the expected norms of the world
OUTSIDE. The period of confinement should be a day-to-day
prepatation for the convict's return to the outside world. Prison
life today is a day-to-day hustle to survive the strange world of
confinement.
Prison jobs must reflect real job opportunities in the outside
world. During their period of confinement, convicted men and
women should receive vocational training and meaningful jobs.
Decent recompense for actual work performed should be made to
each prisoner, a substantial portion of which should be sent to
the family back home. Thus the prisoner has a continued feeling
of ongoing family support.
Every effort must be made to determine what made a
prisoner go wrong--so that he can re-evaluate his behavior pattern
and make his second try at social adjustment successful. Prisoners
should be allowed-to wear civilian clothes on weekends. Certain
prisoners, ,
those who are not hardened criminals, should be
allowed to leave the jail by day and continue in meaningful
employment on the outside, reyurning to confinement in the
evening. In such a manner a man could pay his debt to society
without being prejudged a social outcast.
Rehabilitation concern should carry over into an ex-convict's
new life in the outside world. If a man goes for five years without
running afoul of the law again, he should come before a review
board. If the board finds that he has indeed been living as a truly
rehabilitated man, his former record should be sent to a private
file in a federal location. It should never be made public again, for
any purpose, unless the ex-convict is convicted again.
Rehabilitation means quite literally a second chance. It does
not mean a partial chance with the stigma of a past mistake.
Society can entice people to be good citizens by honestly being
willing to forgive and forget. And rehabilitation pays off. It
reduces prison costs by decreasing the number of inmates. And
the billions of dollars lost as a result of crime are recovered
through rehabilitation.
The federal government should establish Crime Prevention
Centers throughout the country--patterned after USO lounges.
Such centers should he open twenty-four hours a day, attractively
decorated, providing snacks and recreation. As soon as an
ex-convict begins to get the feeling that he is drifting back into
his former way of life, he should be able to go to a conciently
located Crime Prevention Center for guidance, counsel and
acceptance.
Crime Prevention Centers would provide an alternative for
that poor man who feels compelled to throw a brick through a
window because winter is coming on and he needs a place to stay.
So he purposely commits a crime in order to get caught and
escape the winter cold,
Many persons feel that such suggestions are visionary,
impractical and expensive. They would rather talk about law and
order and bemoan crime in the streets. But such critics of new
approaches believe neither in humanity, nor the real possibility of
rehabilitation.
Y. The
ifj orzif .
(
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Store ,)
Super Special
Dick Gregory
the light side/the dark side
Segal performs
Classical guitarist Peter
Segal, a student at Temple
University and the youngest
faculty member at Settlement
Music School, presented a
concert January 21 in the SUB
lounge.
Segal began studying the
instrument at age seven. More
recently he has studied with
Jose Tomas at the University
of Santiago, Spain, where the
Spanish government granted
him a full scholarship. He has
toured the concert circuit with
soprano Deborah Cook and
flutist Patricia Valley. In
addition, he has made his
debut with the Springfield
Symphony.
Segal to,ld his
Book review
DUNE, by Frank Herbert, Ace
Books, Inc., New York, N.Y.,
1965, 544 pages, $.95.
In the annals of literary
works, the realm of science
fiction has always been the
most fascinating. Holding true
to this precedent is DUNE, an
exceptional book which relates
the saga of young Paul
Atreides, born as a mistake in a
line of the genetically
controlled Bene Gesserit
women in their ' attempt to
produce a special being who is
to be the savior of the planet
Dune.
Dune is a world of vast
deserts upon which the
inhabitants value water as the
most precious item in their
lives-so precious that it forces
the reader to wake up to the
problems of our own earth. A
completely believable world,
comparable to J.R.R. Tolkien's
Middle Earth, Dune houses
gigantic sand worms which lurk
beneath the desolation and
keep an eternal vigil in order to
destroy those who would
disrupt the planet's only
resource-its hordes of spice.
The amazing way in which the
worms and the spice relate to
the future of Dune will to
startling to the reader.
But Dune is more than an
ecological novel. The pen of
long time science fiction writer
Frank Herbert takes the reader
deep into the life of Paul,
offspritig of Duke Leto, ruler
of Dune, and the Duke's Lady
Jessica, a Bene Gesserit
"witch" who has disobeyed the
orders of her superiors by
producing a son.
It is soon apparent that
Paul is not an altogether
normal individual. As a child
he is able to remember his
dreams in remarkable
detail-dreams which often
prove prophetic! He is trained
in the Bene Gesserit method of
oberving the minute details of
his environment in order to
draw conclusions--details so
subtle that they would be
beneath the notice of normal
individuals. It is these skills, as
well as other yet undiscovered
powers, which will be essential
to Paul in overcoming the
tremendous obstacles that lie
in his path.
Is Paul really the legendary
messiah of the world Dune, the
one destined to bring water to
the planet so that its
inhabitants are never to want
for it again? Not even Paul
knows as he continues to learn
about himself and• the
mysterious planet Dune.
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over-capacity audience that
there 'are two conflicting
reports as to the origin of the
classical guitar. The first says
that it was developed in
ancient. Mesopotamia while the
second sets Argentina as the
birthplace.
The se'c'ond story is
basically legend, he said, and is
"not so true." This is his
favorite because the American
cowboy fascinates him, and a
cowboy allegedly devised the
classical guitar.
Segal related that a lonely
Argentinian cowboy was
camping on the South
American pampas one night
and longed for his girlfriend.
As a substitute he made a
If you bothered to read this,
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wooden form reminding him of
his long-necked friend. Of
course the wooden copy
turned out to be his guitar.
Before performing each
selection, Segal gave a brief and
informative sketch of the song,
its composer, and its country
of origin. He played several
compositions by Johann
Sebastian Bach. Segal
explained that although Bach
did not write any music for the
classical guitary, the music has
been transcribed from scores
written for other instruments.
In closing, Segal quipped
that the hardest thing for him
to do with the classical guitar is
"to tune the damn thing!"
B&Econ news
January 19, 1971 the
Business and Economic Club
held their first meeting of the
new year. Joe Wisdo, the club
president, opened the meeting
and a new secretary-treasurer
Pat Weicker was elected. The
club made final arrangements
for the plant tour of
Dorr-Oliver which was on
January 20. A drawing was
held at which time a momento
of The University was awarded
to Steve Wilson.
Plans for future meetings
were also discussed. Coming
events will include tours of
Continental Can and Leader
Data. A General Mills Salesman
and a Stock Broker will come
to the school to talk to the
club members about their
various fields.
A large group attended the
plant tour of Dorr-Oliver on
January 21. This included the
workshop area, office area and
computer area. A recent
graduate of Penn State and
now an employee at
Dorr-Oliver, Billy Lutz talked
to the group about his position
at Dorr-Oliver.
American Beauty--The Grateful Dead
Quite frankly, I never have
cared for the Dead. But there is
something which I can't
exactly pinpoint which makes
this a real good time recording.
The music makes you feel good
all over even if indescribably
so. From "Box of Rain"
through to "Truckin," all ten
songs, the Dead display a
tremendous affinity to make a
listener happy.
But it is the second side of
this album which is most
enjoyable. Rarely if ever can a
group, any group, be so
versatile in one recording. "Till
The Morning Comes" reminds
all who listen of the Crosby,
Stills, Nash, and Young we all
miss so much. (It is interesting
to note that David Crosby and
Steve Still taught the Dead
some new harmonies which
were first utilized in
Workingman's Dead, the
prelude to American Beauty.)
on "Attics of My Life'. one
wonders if the Barbershoppers
have not invaded Wally
Heider's Studios and, last but
not least, "Truckin" closes out
the album sounding an awfully
lot like the Elvis Presley of
1956.
There is one thing I cannot
help but think when I listen to
the Dead and that is the fact
that they appear to be doing a
fairly good job of putting on a
comedy show. To say that Pig
Pen (Rin McKernan) is serious
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BOB'S
Sporting Goods
HEADQUARTERS
for
Hunting Fishing Archery
General Sports
Converse All Star
Basketball Shoes:
130 N. Wyoming St
Open Tues. Wed. Thurs.
Fri . Til till 9 455-1421
"There is only one thing in
the world worse than being
talked about, and that is
not being talked about"
Oscar Wilde
People are talking about us. They're saving that
Frumkin Bros. is the place to go if you're buying men's
clothes. Styles are carefully chosen to say something.
Fabrics are durable and practical. Prices are always
reasonable and fair.
If ,you wear clothes from Frumkin Bros., people will
talk about you, and that is certainly better than not being
talked about at all.
Frumkin Bros.
21Famous Brands 21 W. Broad St.
Open Wed. & Fri, till 9:00
by JOHN MARTONICK
on his song "Operator" would
be ridiculous. But the song is
done fantastically well. It has
to be for someone to be singing
about an ex-love who may be a
prostitute. Pig Pen doesn't
"care what she's doing as long
as she's doing it right."
But to review this album
without saying a word about
"Ripple" would be a disgrace.
"Ripple" has got to he the best
song the group has ever
recorded. It even turns into a
family songfest at the end. But
it is the words which make it
complete; just plain old happy
words.
The mistake most often
made by record consumers is
that they hear how great the
Dead cue in concert and fail to
buy their albums. But make a
supreme effort to get this one.
It is well worth while and I'm
sure Jerome John Garcia
wouldn't mind at all.
Musicianship is at its
absolute finest on this album. I
must admit that I've only
heard three of the Dead's five
albums but I heartily doubt if
the musicianship on the two
I've missed, Acxomoxoa and
Live Dead could possibly be
better. The Dead now seem to
be coming into their own at
long last. They have travelled a
long and hard road and
American Beauty has brought
them out of the woods with a
great clearing' in front of them.
'SI V 1
West Hazleton_
FRI.
WEDS. I THURS
7:45 7:45 7:00
ONLY ONLY and
9:00
Comeriety
proceeds
Corn eriety is proceeding
full steam. The skits are being
written and rehearsals. will start
next week
Mark Braskie is
co-ordinating the student band
with the faculty chorus. The
members of the band are:
tenor sax, M. Braskie; trumpet,
J. Sovecchio; trombone, J.
Schreihmaeir; drums, M. Osif;
organ, R. Nork; guitar, R.
Wasatonic; bass, T. Belekanich;
alto sax, G. Wisgo; singer,
Gregg Weiler.
John Martonick, student
c o-ch air m n, urges student
co-oper tion. The money
from the tickets will go to the
Faculty Award Fund which
presents a monetary award to
the outstanding students at the
end of the year. Keep this in
mind when someone
approaches you to buy a
ticket."
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Route 93
Sybertsville , Pa
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2:00 7:45
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