12
Inmates —
(Continued from page 1)
There is one problem, however.
This Back Mountain ‘resident’ is
an inmate at the State Correctional
Institute at Dallas (SCID).
His name is Michael Vaccarello.
Vaccarello, a native of King of
Prussia, is 24 years old and has
been a prisoner at SCID since 1978.
He was convicted of murder in 1978
and is currently serving a life-
sentence at SCID.
Vaccarello recently told The
Dallas Post that he believes educa-
tion is the key to rehabilitating
prison inmates. Education, Vaccar-
ello said, is the only hope a “lifer”
has of ever becoming a productive
citizen again.
‘You have to understand that a
lifer needs some type of hope while
in prison,” Vaccarello said. “You
could say he needs that light at the
end of a tunnel. Education is the
key to providing an inmate with
that hope.”
Vaccarello is what some SCID
officials call a “model inmate.” He
has been a clerk-programmer in the
SCID Education office since 1980. In
1983, he earned his Associate degree
from LCCC. He has had job offers.
But most of all, he hopes to get out
of prison someday.
“Things tend to change every
once in a while,” said Vaccerallo in
reference to Pennsylvania gover-
nors. ‘Right now (under the Thorn-
burg administration), getting a
commuted sentence is not very
likely. But maybe in the future with
a new one (governor).”
Vaccarello said he would like to
get out of prison and begin working
in the computer field.
“Right now, computer jobs are
the mainstay of this country’s econ-
omy,” said Vaccarello. ‘I have had
many offers for postions with major
corporations. But right now, I am
- stuck here (SCID) but I hope to get
out someday and become a produc-
tive citizen.”
Vaccarello recently completed
writing a computer program for
‘GED students. He plans to give the
program to the National Council of
Education in Washington D.C. in
order as he says, “to help other
people get the education they
deserve.”
SCID currently operated a very
extensive educational program for
the inmates offering degree pro-
grams from LCCC and College Mis-
ericordia. SCID also offers GED-
high school diploma training and
many vocational trades. This educa-
tion, said Vaccarello, is vital to
prison inmates who, according to
state estimates, read and write on a
* sixth grade level.
“It is (education) the only way for
an inmate to prepare himself for
Weapons case
Dallas Post/Ed Campbell
anything.
when he gets out,” said Vaccarello.
“Without education, a prisoner does
not care anymore and he often
times gets into more trouble while
in prison.”
Vaccarello has been active in the
SCID club called the ‘Centurion
Jaycee Education Committee.
(CJED)”
The committee works with state
prison officials as well as state
legislators in providing funding for
the various education programs.
Funding for the educational pro-
grams comes largely from corpo-
rate sponsors and local civic organi-
zations. For every dollar donated to
the CJED, the federal government
provides three dollars.
“We are very proud of what the
CJED has done here in the prison,”
said Vaccarello. ‘Each year we
keep growing and we will continue
to provide whatever education to
Forty Fort
288-3990
the inmates that we can.”
Vaccarello said that of the esti-
mated 130 inmates involved in edu-
cation programs, 60 percent receive
“A’s” in their courses.
“In fact,” said Vaccarello, “Wi
currently have 11 inmates who will
be receiving their two-year degrees
from LCCC in Computer Science.
This has been a very successful
program here at the prison.”
When asked for the most impor-
tant reason behind the need for
education, Vaccarello said, “When I
go out into society and begin to
work for a living, people will not
have to worry about me robbing or
stealing from them.”
Vaccarello will be meeting with
the parole board within the next few
months. He said he does not expect
to get out but “I must keep a
positive attitude.”
In observance of The Year of the
Pennsylvania Writer, Wyoming
Valley Poetry Society and arts at
Hayfield will co-sponsor a reading
by John Wheatcroft, novelist, play-
wright, and poet, on Wednesday,
Oct. 16, at 8 p.m. at Hayfield House,
Penn State-Wilkes-Barre.
Besides reading from his works,
he will discuss his life as a Pennsyl-
vania writer. The program, made
possible through a special grant
from Pennsylvania Humanities
Council, is one of several taking
place in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Wheatcroft, Presidential Profes-
sor of English at Bucknell Univer-
sity, has published a play, two
novels, and four books of poetry and
has collaborated on two other vol-
umes of poetry. His most recent
novel, “Catherine, Her Book,” a
journal based on Emily Bronte’s
“Wuthering Heights,” has received
public ‘acclaim as ‘‘a provocative
re-vision”’ of the original.
A resident fellow at Yaddo, the
MacDowell Colony, the Virginia
Center for the Creative Arts, Wheat-
croft received his Bachelor of Arts
degree cum laude with honors in
English from Bucknell University
and his Master of Arts and Doctor
of Philosophy degrees from Rutgers
University. He was an instructor at
the University of Kansas prior to
coming to Bucknell in 1952.
Back Mountain volunteers are
busy working on the United Way of
Wyoming Valley campaign. With
only a few returns in, the volunteers
are encouraged that they will reach
their goal of $5,350.
Back Mountain Area cp-team
leader, Peg Sordoni, thinks this
drive has a positive outlook. “We
have many new solicitors this year.
That’s a good sign,” said Sordoni.
Thanks to these new solicitors and
the other members of Back Moun-
tain campaign volunteers, the
United Way hopes to reach its goal
of $3,185,000. The monies raised
during the drive will be used to
benefit the 28 member agencies in
the Wyoming Valley. The campaign
is scheduled to run until Oct. 30.
Township
(Continued from page 1)
opment, is provided through the
federal Housing and Urban Develop-
ment (HUD) agency and is subject
to numerous regulations.
The majority of the funds availa-
ble are used for installing winteriza-
tion materials such as new storm
windows, attic, ceiling and wall
insulation and additional plumbing
safeguards.
The “target areas” the program
mentions are those areas of a com-
munity which have suffered eco-
nomically for a long period of time.
THose areas then become a
‘“‘target’’ for property improve-
ment,which eventually . means
greater tax revenue for a commu-
nity due to increased property
value.
Anyone interested in the program
or wishing to determine if they are
qualified, or within a ‘target area”
can contact the Luzerne County
Office of Community Development
at 824-7214.
Pamplets explaining the program
are available at the Dallas Town-
ship municipal building.
In other action during the meet-
ing, the Supervisors unveiled a plan
for a new ‘Dry Fire Hydrant
Project. The project, which will be
implemented by the engineering
firm of Smith Miller and Associates
of Kingston, will provide fire
hydrants in local ponds which are
located near housing developments.
The hydrants will offer firefight-
ers a readily available source of
water for fighting fires instead of
waiting for a “pumper”’ fire truck.
The cost of the project is esti-
mated at $2,300. During the meet-
ing, the supervisors agreed to allo-
cate an initial payment toward
services of $612.
— JOHN F. KILDUFF
Jeff
(Continued from page 1)
handicapped.
“Thank God every day for your
children or your parents,” he told
the audience. “I wanted to belong to
a family, but I didn’t. My mother
told me a mother raises her chil-
dren, but that she didn’t raise me.”’
Jeff said the Good Shepherd
Home wasn’t so bad, that one
couple became attached to him and
used to come and take him out. He
persevered, passed a test for his
driver’s license, and graduated
from William Allen High School,
attended Bible College and in 1972
sang on the Gospel Hour in Lynch-
burg, VA.
When he was 18 years of age, Jeff,
like most men at the time, received
his ‘Greetings’ from the Draft
was classified 4-F, but, ironically,
was asked if he had a signed
certificate from his doctor that he
was medically and physically unfit.
“I’m here today, doing what I'm
doing because some people loved
me for what I am. I came to realize
that I'm a one of a kind ‘“‘Master-
piece” because ‘God Don’t Make
Junk’.”
In 1973, Jeff went to South Caro-
lina where he met Debbie, the girl
who is now his wife. He realized
when he asked her to marry him
that he had three liabilities — she
would have to wait on him more
than on another person; he would be
away on tour a lot; and they would
have to live on love offerings given
at his concerts.
The Steinbergs are now married
111, years and on June 7, 1977, their
son, Benjamin Steinberg, was born.
He is now eight years of age and
just three inches shorter than his
father.
In November, Steinberg will be
the recipient of the National Youth
Associations’ annual Courage
Award, given to the person they
select as the most courageous in the
country.
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