Page 2 : SiGe Dallas Post Building. Neil Peters appears to be much the same as any 20 year-old farm boy from the rural region around Troy, Bradford County. What makes him different is that he is a convict, pure and simple, a dark chapter in his life he expects to remember always. But for Neil, that doesn’t mean life has suddenly stopped, and it certainly hasn’t stopped for him here. After working daily with Greenstreet News’ production staff for six months, he is about to graduate from the training program. And according to Dallas Post editor and Greenstreet News production manager Doris Mallin, he is now fully competent to hold a host of jobs in any offset-produced newspaper plant anywhere. From the Post he is to enter the state’s community treatment center in Scranton for a week or so, then to the Penn State Lehman campus, where he will not only be a full-fledged college student, but a member of free society as well. He will live off-campus, just as any other student, with few exceptions. Mike Hendricks is a slender, unobstru- sive, well-read individual, serving a two- to-five-year sentence from Chester County. Likewise, he knows what prison life is all about. For both men, however. their prison experience has meant something unique. unity, as prison life goes, and they have taken proper advantage. J The program elosely parellels a project begun by SCID superintendent Leonard Mack late last year in which three SCID residents started a training program at WVIA Channel 44 Television, the educa- tional outlet in this region. That project, made public first in this newspaper, has now increased to five SCID residents. A unique feature of the program at Greenstreet News, in addition to providing an opportunity for job training to inmates, is that Mr. Mack has insisted that it not be % structured to where any of his men are filling ‘a position which would otherwise take an opportunity for employment away ‘from a member of the community work force. Though unemployment is virtually Mr. Mack has insisted that his men not occupy any jobs which the employer would likely fill with a member of our ‘free society.” The first order of business in esa screen the resident population to deter- mine interests in such a plan. After con- siderable screening by the SCID treatment “center personnel, several inmates were given interviews. Mrs. Mallin, at the conclusion of the interviews, then selected the two trainees. considered for the program had to have progressed to a pre-release status. In other words, by their behavior and time served, it was relatively evident that the appli- cants would be released back into free - society, probably within a year. Secondly, as Mr. Mack explains, each applicant had been measured by his atti- tudional change and his pride of acecom- plishment. “They had to measure up in practical and tangible goals,” the superin- tendent said. ‘‘In this they had to have demonstrated a steadiness and depend- interests in the self improvement pro- grams within the institutions; and decency in their inter-personal relationships with other inmates and prison staff.” More simply, Mr. Mack said, ‘‘every- thing at SCID is earned; nothing is given.’ And Mrs. Mallin has a word of caution for the employer who might consider a similar program: “Don’t let the situation arise to where the boys are indispensable; one of these days they're going to grad- uate, and we’ll have to start all over again.” Before the project was begun, the production staff of Greenstreet News, made up mostly of women, were informed of the extended discussions which had been held between the newspaper mana- gement and prison officials. They were asked for their views on working with SCID. residents, and given an opportunity to voice any qualms. None did. “From the very beginning, the relation- ship between the trainees and the girls in production has been absolutely healthy, and proper in every way,” Mrs. Mallin indicated recently while contemplating few weeks to find a replacement for Neil. “Not only has there been no friction because of the boys, but the girls have gone out of their way to make sure Neil and Mike remember their experience here as a pleasant one.” Production staff personnel at Green- street punch no time clocks and are granted no coffee breaks. Rather, they come to work when expected, and they can often as they wish. Occasionally they also * work some rather long hours. This relaxed atmosphere, as opposed to the strict strue- ture of prison life is one of the big differ- ences the boys have become accustomed to. The other big difference is working with women rather than the all male resident prison population. Before joining the program, Neil was spending most of his time working in the dairy barn at SCID, which maintains its own dairy herd. “His work there was kinda like’ at home,” Robert H. Peters, Neil’s father, ‘said recently. But with both his mother and father holding degrees in higher education, Neil knew that he wouldn’t be satisfied until he could better his educa- tion. His involvement in the Greenstreet program was only one of his endeavors toward that end. In addition to that, he was enrolled in an accounting course, a ‘member of the Centurion Jaycees, and the SCID softball team. Mike, meanwhile, had long been striving for more knowledge. As a SCID resident, he had already taken over most of the work in running the SCID library, order- ing, cataloging and repairing books, and when time permitted, reading. During his first 17 months at SCID, he read about 250 books from the institution’s library. Working closely with the Dallas Institution Christian Establishment, Mike had taught he had worked in a data processing firm with computers, as well as serving a 4- year stretch in the Marine Corps where he picked up more knowledge of computers and electronics training. While Neil is planning his college career, Mike is planning to marry as soon as his ween the company and prison officials, the inmates are not paid during their training period, except for the approximate $1 a day that most working inmates receive. The company does, however, pay for their lunch (and dinner when they stay late). At meal time, it’s not unusual to see the two inmates in one of Dallas’ restaurants with the rest of the production staff, a highlight of the training day. In fact, it was during the lunch hours that a waitress in one of the eating establishments came to know them and offered a room to Neil for the approaching school year, which he grate- fully accepted. The key to the trainee program, one staffer surmised, has been respect, both on the part of the trainees as well as their co- workers and supervisors. Soon after the program began, Dallas Police Chief Ray Titus was called to the Post to meet the boys. He not only approved of the program, but offered his help and respect. ‘““They’re not indispensable around here,” Mrs. Mallin has observed,” but they are excellent workers and have put gain the respect of their co-workers. Like Mr. Mack said, there’s been nothing given. They’ve earned that respect.” A Greenstreet News Co. Publication, Mike (above) and Neil leave the Post every day at 4 p.m. to return to their prison hone. } gE Diane Johns, Teletypesetter, instructs Mike on the machine. Both Mike and Neil have learned how to operate all machines in _ the production department. a hh Mike Hendricks does display composition and headlines on the - Compugraphic 7200. Mike has learned how to maintain and adjust all machines used in the composing room at Greenstreet News Co. i fs 3
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers