Prison!
Bm ‘WALLY KOCHER
Staff Correspondent
~ (EDITOR’S NOTE: Staff Correspondent Wally
Kocher and Staff Photographer Eddie Campbell
were assigned to cover the graduation ceremo-
nies at the State Correctional Institution at
Dallas last week. Prison officials invited the two
to tour the prison facilities prior to the ceremo-
nies. Following is Wally’s observations of what
he saw.)
Prison. What thoughts come to mind when you
hear that word? Dark, dreary, rat-infested cells
with guards parceling out the bread and water
to the inmates? Or do you on the other hand,
think of color television in every cell, steak for
every meal and ‘health resort” condominiums?
Both visions are wrong.
When my editor asked me to cover the
graduation ceremonies at the State Correctional
Institute at Dallas, I thought it would be an
opportune time to visit the entire prison and see
just what makes it tick.
I though that when I arrived, I would be met
by at least two burly guards with guns. As I
would be escorted through the halls, the inmates
would be yelling and banging their tin cups on
the bars. I was very wrong!
I arrived around 11:30 in the morning. After
parking my car, and making sure that all doors
were locked, I proceeded toward the main gate.
I tried to open the door but was unsuccessful.
Eddie, the photographer, had been to the prison
before, so he just laughed at me. As hard as I
tried to turn the door knob, it just would not
budge.
Meanwhile, Eddie was still laughing. I was
becoming upset when all of a sudden, a sharp
“bang” sort of sound came from the door, and
New history
book available
A limited supply of Wyoming
Valley’s newest ‘history book, ‘The
Wyoming Valley: An American Por-
trait’’ is now available at the
Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of
Commerce.
The history book, written by Dr.
Edward Hanlon of King’s College,
covers the Wyoming Valley’s his-
tory in words and pictures.
The 300 page book includes over
200 photographs of the Wyoming
Valley. It is the most modern,
comprehensive treatment of Wilkes-
Barre’s history.
The book devotes an entire section
to the birth and development of
business and industry in the Valley.
Sponsored by the Greater Wilkes-
Barre Chamber of Commerce, the
book sells for $24.95. It is available
to Chamber members for $19.95.
To obtain a copy, visit the Greater
Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Com-
merce at 92 South I"ranklin Street,
Wilkes-Barre.
Coslett appointed
Rep. Frank Coslett has been
named to a special bipartisan House
committee to study the problems of
the chronic homeless.
“There are thousands of Pennsyl-
vania citizens who are without per-
manent shelter and who are without
adequate means of support,” Coslett
said. “For them mere existence is a
day-to-day thing.”
suddenly it was easy to open. That was my first
lesson, about 99 percent of the doors at the
prison were electronically locked. A man behind
a control panel had to let you in, you just didn’t
walk in.
After making it through all the security
measures including metal detectors, and
searches, we were escorted to another gate
inside the prison fence.
Again, a guard stood by to open the gate for
us. On the other side was a man dressed in a
nice new suit.
“That can’t be out guide,” I thought.
doesn’t have a gun.”
Lo and behold it was! His name was Tom
Figmik, and he was the Administrative Assist-
ant to the Superintendent.
I explained to Mr. Figmik that I had never
been to the prison before, and I didn’t really
know what all there was to see.
He understood, and commanded Eddie and I
to follow him. We obeyed.
Our first stop was a cell block. Actually it was
a couple of cell blocks, along with a hospital,
barber shop, mattress factory, and other points
of interest all under one roof.
I couldn’t help but think of the Wyoming
Valley Mall. Not that it reminded me of it in
appearance, but that it seemed to have every-
thing the inmates needed under one roof.
As we walked down the long hallway, there
were no tin cups, and very little screaming. In
fact, the inmates weren’t in their cells. By then
it was lunch time, so many of them were either
going to the dining area, or just walking around.
This made me extremely uneasy. Especially
after Mr. Figmik told us that we were in one of
the worst cell blocks in the prison. Many of the
more violent inmates were kept there.
“But they’re not locked up’ I kept saying.
“He
Mr. Figmik just laughed and informed me that
there were only 22 who were under constant lock
up.
Near the end of the tour of the cell block, Mr.
Figmik asked me if I had noticed that there
were no weapons carried by the guards. I hadn’t
noticed.
He informed me that some carried batons and
mace, but no guns. Everyone was required to
carry a whistle.
After I thought about it, it did make sense. If a
gudrd was carrying a gun, an inmate might try
to take it from him. Who would want a whistle?
Upon leaving the cell block, we came across a
group of men. Each one had a hammer.
“Do you know why these men have ham-
mers?” asked Mr. Figmik.
At first I thought that perhaps they forgot
their whistles, but Mr. Figmik informed me that
they were.a part of security.
The men actually go to each cell block to tap
on the bars with their hammers. They check for
weak areas. :
1 was impressed. In fact I was impressed with
all of the prison’s security measures. The
fences, barbed wire, watch towers, ‘and not to
mention the electric doors. I now have the
utmost respect for anyone who can escape from
that prison from within. It would be impossible,
I should think.
Our last stop for the day was the visiting area.
1 expected to see walls of glass with visitors on
one side and inmates on the other. Wrong again!
The visiting room is much like a sunny lounge
where the inmates and their families can eat
and talk with each other.
They even have a small playground for any
children that might come.
“As I stood there observing, I realized that the
majority of these men are not to be feared.
Th 120th District lawmaker noted
that a large segment of the new
breed of homeless are younger and
are able to work. They can be
‘productive members of society but
are in dramatic need of job counsel-
ing and training, he said.
House Resolution 249, which was
- cosponsored by Coslett, states that a
unified statewide approach to the
problem of the chronic homeless is
needed with a consistent set of
policies and programs.
The Holcomb Road Project, a
$6900 improvement - project to an
empty field on Route 309, adjacent
to Holcomb Road in Kingston Town-
ship, was completed recently. The
project, which included $3000 worth
of landscaping and $3900 worth of
stream channeling improvements,
was the result of efforts on the part®
of Kingston Township officials.
According to Mark Kunkle, Kings-
ton Township manager, the town-
ship purchased by the property for
$1 from the Luzerne County Rede-
velopment Authority following the
1972 flood. During the flood, Hol-
comb Creek, which runs alongside
Holcomb Road, totally ruined two
homes which were situated on the
property.
The Redevelopment Authority
razed the flood-destroyed homes
and sold the property to Kingston
Township with the stipulation that
According to Kunkle, the property
had been in the overgrown state
since 1973 but the township was not
in a position to make any improve-
ments. However, in 1984, when it
also became necessary to slow down
a stream that runs on the field, the
township funded the project and
made the improvements to the prop-
erty.
The shrubbery and trees were
planted by Rave’s Landscaping in
Shavertown while the stream chan-
nel improvements, made to keep the
banks of the stream from eroding,
were done by Connolly and Sons.
The entire project was funded by
Kingston Township.
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Inmate honored
received a certificate in
recently at the prison.
By WALLY KOCHER
Staff Correspondent
“Education is the Key to Suc-
cess.”
This is the theme for a very
special educational program. How-
ever, the program isn’t conducted in
a grade school, high school or even
college, for that matter. In fact, the
courses for this program don’t take
place in a school at all. They take
place in a prison. And the students
aren’t your average adolescents,
but rather a group of inmates at the
State Correctional Institute at
Dallas.
Recently, four inmates in the pro-
gram graduated with associate of
science degrees from Luzerne
County Community College, and
over 150 others received GED
diplopmas, drafting and surveying
certificates from Pennsylvania
State University.
At the ceremony, which was
attended by the inmates’ friends
and families, those receiving the
special honors were congratulated
by a number of dignitaries.
State Senator Edwin G. Holl, of
Philadelphia, expressed his feelings
about the program during a brief
message.
“I feel strongly that this program
should be continued,” he said. ‘I
commend the educational staff here
at the prison for expanding the
program and encouraging the
inmates. By continuing the pro-
gram, inmates will be able to be
accepted into society better.”
Sen. Holl also mentioned that he
and other state legislators will meet
with Commissioner «Glen Jeffes to
talk about lending financial aid to
the program.
‘“There’s no better way to spend
taxpayers’ dollars,” he said. “Of
course, if there was more money,
there would be more residents in
the program.”
A letter from Governor Dick
Thornburgh was read to the gradu-
ates by Superintendent Joseph
Ryan.
Wie. 0
congratulate the graduates.
The keynote address was given by
Thumas Leary, Associate Dean of
Admissions at LCCC. In the
address, Leary stated reasons why
this was such an accomplishment
for the inmates.
“You must have realized that all
the time and work you put into this
still would not entitle you to awards
that others get,” he said, ‘but still
you did it.”
“There are no easy. .solutions to
today’s problems,
begun,” Leary added. ‘“You hav
proven to others, and most impor-
tantly to yourself, that you want to
be a part of that solution.”
After all the speeches were made,
the diplomas and certificates were
given out. John Kolesar, professor
of civil engineering at Penn State
University, and Lee Sweinberg, pro-
fessor of mechanical engineering at
Penn State University, handed out
the drafting and surveying certifi-
cates.
Next the recipients of the asso-
ciate degrees were presented with
their diplomas. They were: William
Rowan, Joseph Ball, Thurmond
Berry, and John Pauze.
Andrew Arroyo, 20, formerly of
Reading, was one inmate that
received a Drafting-Mechanical
Engineering Certificate.
“I will definitely be continuing my
education,’ he said. “I'll be getting
out in November, and going back
home to Reading. Professor Swein-
berg is then going to help me get
into the Berks Campus of Poly
State.”
Arroyo, who is serving an 18
month sentence for negligent arson,
said that his interest in drafting and
mechanical engineering began
before enrolling in the prison’s 10
month program.
“I ws pretty good in it in high
school,” he said. ‘I wanted to go on
to college, but instead I joined the
Navy for a year. After that, I was
sent here. This program gave me
the opportunity to continue my
studies.”
According to Mike Vaccarello,
chairman for the program and an
inmate himself, there is a backlog
of inmates wanting to enroll in the
program.
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