Eighty-Seven Years of Editorial Freedomr
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Prison teach-in starts toda
V
Thursday, March 17, 1977
_ News Phone: 764-0552
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
t f
- ' I] ."l 1 l T A
THE VETERAN'S Administration
(VA) Hospital murder trial, al-
ready an incredibly complex and con-
voluted affair, has taken another
bizarre twist. However, 'the issues
raised by recent newspaper reports
present a moral dilemma that we
have been hard-pressed to resolve.
* The problem can be simply stated.
On Sunday, the Detroit Free Press
revealed that a nursing supervisor,
Betty Jakim, at the VA Hospital
made what amounted to a confession
to the murders during a psychiatric
interview at the University's Neuro-
Psychiatric Institute. The attendant
psychiatrist,-taking into account the
woman's long history of mental ill-
ness, largely discounted his patient's
statement and did not inform the
FBI. Only through the story in the
Free Press, did federal prosecutors
learn of the confessions. Although
the FBI apparently did investigate
Jakim to some extent, but dropped
her as a suspect when it was learned
she wasn't present when several of
the poisonings, occurred.
Naturally, defense. attorneys for
Filipina Narciso and Leonora Perez,
the two nurses charged in the case,
have subpoenaed Jakim's psychiatric
record. In response, the University
Tuesday refused to release the record,
citing "patient-physician privilege"
and, the confidentiality implicit in
psychiatric treatment..
A ND SO WE REACH the heart of
the matter. What is the higher
moral imperative? The confidentiality
of psychiatric records?' Or the possi-
bility that'the Jakim record will serve
the cause of justice, illuminating the
culpability or innocence 'of the two
nurses?
On the face of it, the latter state-
ment seems to be of the first priority,
for several reasons. For one, Jakim's
confession jibes well with several oth-
er pieces of circumstantial evidence.
She worked the same shift as the
accused nurses. She had access to the
poison that allegedly killed hospital
patients where as the accused nurses
did not. She apparently expressed
feelings of guilt or paranoia as well
as anxiety over the FBI inveqtigation.
And to top it off, before she commit-
ted suicide in early February, she
wrote a note allegedly exonerating
accused nurses Narciso and Perez and
fingered herself as the murderer. The
case against Jakim would appear to
be strong.
Also, some might contend, Jakim
is dead, so what matter confidentiali-
ty? As this argument goes, what mat-
ters more? The preservation of a dead
person's confidentiality or the futures
of two living, breathing people? Is
justice to be sacrificed for some high-
blown, pristine principle?
For our part, we must offer an
agonized "yes." We feel the violation
of the principle of confidentiality
would not only seriously impair the
4
psychiatric profession but set a dan-
gerous legal precedent.
-ONE NEEDS ONLY to reflect a mo-
ment to realize the implications
involved in releasing psychiatric rec-
ords. What is to be said to the trou-
bled individual who wishes to go to
a psychiatrist? That their innermost
thoughts and feelings are completely
confidential 'maybe'? - depending on
whether some unknown authority
feels it is essential in some way that
they be revealed?
In an age when individuals' pri-
vacy is being increasingly invaded,
are we to tolerate this intrusion into
what must be considered one of the
' few remaining bastions of privacy?
And what of the psychiatrist who
listens to a patient confess to a crime?
How shall he/she make the awful de-
cision to reveal this information?
There are no easy answers to these
questions, and we found ourselves in
a moral quandry before reaching this
conclusion.
More frightening still are the pos-
sible future uses which may be found
for psychiatric records if they are
open to court-ordered perusal. Cer-
tainly, in this instance, there is a
fine, indeed laudable motive for ex-
posing these files. But this in no way
insures that these records will be
used ethically in the future. Almost
surely, there would' be future instanc-
es where the public airing of such
intimate, personal information would
be a spectacle unpleasant to don-
template.
.INALLY, ON A PURELY practical
level, one must recognize that
even if Jakim's files were opened,
there is a good chance they would
prove inconclusive and of little use.
There is a considerable amount of
doubt over whether Jakim's state-
ments are those of a stable, rational
person. In fact, her psychiatrist main-
tains he is convinced of her inno-
cence.
For these reasons, we oppose the
opening of Jakim's psychiatric rec-
ord..
S However, at this time, we feel that
there is another way to improve the
likelihood that justice be done in this
case. With the widespread publicity
over this case, and the Jakim story
in particular, the trial screams for
a change of venue.
It may be all but impossible to
find competent jurors in this state
who are unbiased by the flood of
news reports on this matter. Only
someone who has seen no television
newscasts, and scanned no newspaper
since Sunday could be unprejudiced
in this matter, and such persons
might well be too socially unaware
andi igorant of the workings of the
justice system to be considered for
jury duty.
Because of this, a change of venue
is mandatory to ensure a just trial.
By SUSAN HILDEBRANT
P RiSONS are an expensive
failure. They do not reha-
bilitate offenders nor protect
society. They breed hate, bru-
tality, corruption and waste, and
presently warehouse more than
400,000 people across the coun-
try. Prisons perpetuate racial
injustice and cost taxpayers mil-
lions of dollars annually.
In an age of revived capital
punishment and exaggerated
public fear, this is an unpopular
philosophy. It is, however, cne
which demands expressing. ac-
cording to the An Arbor Prison
Collective, a group of University
students are community mem-
bers dedicated to enlicIteming
the public to "the realities of
prison."
To provide a forum for prison
issues, the collective has organ-
ized a teach-in to be held today,
Fri. and Sat., March 17-19, in
Mendelssohn Theatre of the
Michigan League. The Ann Ar-
bor Teach-in. On Prisons will
bring together nationally and lo-
cally known lawyers, journalists,
ex-prisoners and organizers to
explore the use, conditions ard
results of imnrisonment.
The teach-in concept is re-
freshing annroach to educalion
which encourages new nersnec-
tives, according to the' collec-
tive.
"A TEACH-IN is the perfect
medium for getting information
out to people, It gives the a
feeling of personal involvement
and inspiration," stated collec-
tive member Susan Dryovage.
who believes Americans are ex-
posed to a narrow view of im-
prisonment and crime w h i ^ h
fosters fear and hostility.
"The teach-in is designed to
break down some of the miscon-
ceptions we have about who fill
out prisons and why," cjntendis
Drvovage.
Nearly 70 per cent of the na-
tion's prisoners are mrcrities
and almost all are poor, accoid-
ing to Department of Correc-
tionls statistics.
"Prisons are a way of con-
trolling people, not crime," Dry-
ovage said. "With millions of
dollars spent on prisons each
year and 70-80 per cent of all cx-
prisoners eventually returning to
prison, it's obvious that prisoa1s
aren't working and arcn't in-
tended to.
"People are treated ,.hum-
anely and are deprived of their
human rights while incarcerat-
ed. This is not only destructive
to those individuals who do time
in prison, but to society as
well." added Dryovage, who alo
coordinates an Inmate Project
information referral service in
the Washtenaw County jail. The
Inmate Project, an experiment-
ial learning component of the
University's Community Servic-
es and Project Communty, is
the major teach-in sponsor and
a member of the Ann Arbor Pri-
son Collective.
EXPOSING dysfunction of the
penal system is only one goal
of the teach-in. Collective mem-
bers also hope to mobilize people
in the area of prison abolition
and development of alternatives
to incarceration.
"Many people don't clearly be-
lieve that we don't need or want
prisons. By illustrating the in-
adequacies of the prison system,
the teach-in may influence peo-
ple to think about getting rid of
them," explained Dryovage.
A mailing list will be compil-
ed during the teach-in and parti-
cipants will receive information
about various productive prison
projects into which they m a y
channel their energy to bring
about social change, according
to Dryovage.
"We'll provide peonle access
to organizations with similar
kinds of committments so that
they can plug into them rather
than rely on others. Peonle will
learn what they as individuals
can do," Dryovage asserted.
To accomplish this,.he 'hree
day conference will consist of
workshops and lectures, the sab-
iects of which will be, respect-
ively, "Prisons as a Means of
Control," "The Realities of Pri-
son," and "Alternatives to Pri-
sons."
CHARLES GARRY, icfense
attorney for the Black Panther.
Party, will begin the teach-in o-
night with an overview of pri-
sons as a political instriment.
Mark Lane. attorney for the Cit-
izens Commission of lnq uiry,
will follow with a discussion of
the judicial system vs. the
American people, drawing on
Wounded Knee and the James
Earl Ray case as examples. Piri
Thomas, Peurto Rican poet and
former prisoner, will read his
poetry ,and share his recollec-
tions and thoughts as an ex-
convict.
Friday's events begin at noon
with a panel of former prison-
ers discussing the effects of pri-
son on individuals, homosexual-
ity in prisons and the difficul-
ties ex-offenders encounter in re-
integrating themselves into a
community.
Detroit youth organizer a n d
former Jackson Prison escapee.
Billy Holcomb. will.talk about
his work, followed by Social '
Work Professor Rosemary Saari
narrating the Zimbardo Prison
Study slide show which depicts a
university experiment involving
a similated prison environment.
Detroit attorneys Judy Magid
aid Gabe Kaimowitz will ad-
dress, respectively, the issues of
women in prison and chemo-
therapy use in prison, during
Friday evening's program. Au-
thor Kenneth Wooden will talk
about America's incarcerated
children, also on Friday.
SATURDAY'S workshops will
focus on working within the sys-
tem toward change, beginning
with New York television writer
and critic Alain Gansberg dis-
cussing the image of prisons and
prisoners in television and film.
Attorneys Bill Goodman, Neal
Bush and John Coyne will con-
duct a panel discussion about
law suits as a means of clhan;g-
ing prisons and will evaluate the
traditional definition of a cr~m-
inal.
"We feel it is important that
the program focus on reaiities,
change and alternatives in order
to help people understand what
can and cannot be immediately
changed, but requires great
committment," remarked Dry-
ovage.
Dealing with alternatives, Bar-
bara Bergman, a coordinator for
the Out-Wayne County Y o u t h
Services, will address the issue
of alternative programming for
juveniles, highlighting run-away
youth shelters.
Jose Lopez, a inember of the
Puerto Rican Independence Par-
ty who has been repeatedly sub-
jected to Grand Jury harrass-
ment for his support of the Five
Puerto Rican Nationalists, will
discuss the independence move-
ment and the imprisonment of
the Nationalists. Lopez establish-
ed an alternative high school in
Chicago for Puerto Rican
youths.
ERICA HUGGINS, Black Pan-
ther and poet, will open the
final evening with a talk about
her feelings as a woman poli-
tical prisoner, followed by Mor-
ton Sobell, author of On Doing
Time, who will discuss his 18
years behind bars in conjunction
with the Rosenberg case.
Brian Wilson, director of the
National Moratorium on Prison
Construction will address alrern-
atives to prison and suggest
what can be done to halt further
prison construction, whercas in-
vestigative journalist IDonald
Freed will summarize :he tcach-
in and speak about the "freedom
of information movement" ' rd
methods of achieving political
alternatives. ,"
"Our speakers are specialized
in areas ranging from deep
within the prison walls to the
outer political arenas;" said
Dryovage. She added chat after
the teach-in the collective plans
to periodically sponsor speakers
and films concerning prisons "to
.keep these issues alive."
Tickets are on sale in the fish-
bowl all week and at the Men-
delssohn box office prior to eve-
ning lectures. Afternoon vork-
shops are free and $1.00 adn'mis-
sion will be charged for each
evening. A series ticket *s nvail-
able for $2.50. Scheduled a n d
brochures can also b: obtained
in the fishbowl and the Inmate
Project office, 2209 Michigan Un-
ion.
"Each of us has a "esponsib'l-
ity to educate ourselves and to
do somethink with the know-
ledge we gain. We hope this
teach-in will draw a large aud-
ience and enable people to do
this," Dryovage concluded.
TENANTS RISING
by RICHARD DUTKA
AND YOU thought it was tough to find a place to
Ann Arbor; now try getting rid of that same hovel
summer months without losing a good bit of the summer's
it's practically impossible.
live in
for the
rent -
Letters to The Daily
Despite our protests, baby
seal slaughter continues
DPP
To The Daily:
On March 2, The Daily pub-
lished an article by Chuck An-
esi containing serious inaccura-
cies about the Department of
Population Planning (DPP)
which warrant correction.
He began his commentary
with the statement that "a com-
mittee reported that the DPP
has 'serious internal problems'
- a fetish with third world
versus domestic problems, with
family planning versus ppula-
tion control, and other misallo-
cations of interest." The seri-
ous internal problems refers to
an internal debate over the
chairmanship which was resolv-
ed by the recommendations of
the Review Committee. The
"fetish with third world prob-
lems" stems from the obvious
fact that rapid population grow-
th is primarily a problem of the
third world. As a result, DPP
research is mainly third world
in focus, and twelve of the
eighteen DPP doctoral students
are foreign students.
Anesi's image orf "trucks full
of pills rumbling through Cal-
cutta" reflects a primitive mis-
understanding of international
technical assistance to popula-
tion planning efforts and total
ignorance about the work of
the DPP. We are not a family
planning department, and no-
where in the Review Report was
the "family planning versus
population control" debate dis-
cussed. It was not an issue in
our review.
The "loss of USAID funding"
referred to in the article repre-
sents the end of a ten-year com-
mitment by USAID and Ford
Foundation to provide seed
funds for establishing an ap-
plied research center in the
population field at Michigan. It
has been known for den years
that these funds would stop in
1978, and "news" that the DPP
would lose this support was no
surprise to anyone. The issue is
whether or not the seed that
was planted with external sup-
port will continue to grow under
University auspices in accord-
ance with agreements to that
effect with donor agencies.
Anesi's references to the re-
view of our department ignore
the fact that the Review Com-
mittee did not recommend dis-
banding the program. In fact,
the independent reviewers that
he refers to. have both subse-
Committee. Instead, criticisms
have been used selectively to
justify decisions made on fi-
nancial grounds.
Anesi closed his article with
a homily about the desire for
sons in the developing world
and finished with a slur upon
the quality of the students in
the DPPh:"Unfortunately, feel-
ings of such depth are beyond
the grasp .of most DPP stu-
dents." What is unfortunate is
that The Daily has become a
forum for an attack upon stu-
dents which was based upon
shallow preconceptions rather
than a careful investigation of
our work, theoretical perspec-
tives, or capabilities.
We invite The Daily to send
a competent reporter , to the
DPP to review the research and
service records of students and.
alumni. We are confident that
the record will show that Anesi's
attack was both unfair and un-
warranted.
James F. Phillips
Student, DPP
AFSCME
To the Daily:
AFSCME Local 1583 initially
went on strike because the Uni-
versity Administration offered
us asettlement that would not
enable us to keep our heads
above water. The Administra-
tion offer was only a 5% per
year increase and an elimina-
tion of our Cost of Living Ad-
.justment. Over the duration of
our last contract we lost con-
siderably to inflation. Inflation
is increasing at a rate of 7% a
year. We would need a substan-
tial raise to keep up with the
cost of living, yet the University
Administration rejects even our
minimal demands.
We remain out because the
Administration has failed to
budge in any meaningful way
during negotiations. We have
lowered our stand to well below
our original demands, and yet
the University Administration
did not respond in kind. We want
to return to work, but the Ad-
ministration must come to real-
ize that negotiations are give
and take, and they can't take
away our dignity as employees,
The University has money, in-
cluding a budget of over $400
million. This is the largest
budget of any university in the
state. Yet, several universities
pay their maintenance and serv-
ice workers more. Over the past
2% weeks the University Ad-
ministration has proven it has
the money to pay the police
overtime, supervisors overtime,
and to hire people to take our
jobs at rates higher than our
members receive, in order to try
to Break our strike.
We realize that the strike is
an inconvenience to you. For us,
it means no paychecks and in-
credible sacrifices for ourselves
and our families. The reason for
the inconvenience to you and to
us is the University Administra-
tion's insensitivity to the finan-
cial needs of our members. We
do not want a tuition increase.
We, too, would like to send our
children to college, and for this
reason have stood with U-M stu-
dents in their efforts to lower
tuition.
What can you do to end .the
strike and help us get a gdo
settlement? First, do not do
AFSCME jobs. Those who do
our work in effect take money
from our pockets and food from
our families' tables. Second, join
with the Student Support Com-
mittee to pressure the Adminis-
tration to settle in a just fashion.
Thank you for your support.
-AFSCME Local 1583"
Ann Arbor vacancy rates dip below one per cent during the
normal school year (below five per cent is considered "unhealthy"
according to the Federal government); a situation which drives
up rents and keeps maintenance at a minimum. During the sum-
mer months - everyone packs up and leaves behind a relatively
vacanttown that can be far more pleasant to live in, yet one in
which rents plunge and surblettors are nowhere to be found, all
at the tenants' expense. The traditional Ann Arbor housing crisis
is once again completing its annual cycle.
Tenants find themselves in an incredible bind. Landlords
certainly won't bear the burden of renting the apartment in the
summer; they want the steady profit, as do the banks. Consequent-
ly, practically every eight month tenant is forced to sign a 12
month lease.' When eight month leases are available, however,
tenants often suffer even more: landlords, recognizing the fact
that the apartment may not be occupied from May to September
at the ful rent, compensate for this potential loss by charging 25-
35 per cent higher rent on eight month leases; thus they almost
always rake in a full 12 month exorbitant income regardless of the
lease term.
So, tbe thankful tenants, a 12 month leave gives you the
right to enter the "free" market -free to hassle, quarrel, worry,
and scrounge around for someone, anyone who will sublet so that
you don't lose your entire 4 months summer rent.
BECAUSE SUBLETTORS have so much to choose from during
those spring and summer months, apartments usually rent for
50-70 per cent of what they are during the normal year. This figure
varies, depending on the type of apartment. Air conditioned apart-
ments, those with swimming pools or units near the Arb, usually
sublet for higher prices. Top floor apartments, basement rooms
in old buildings, attics, and closet-sized rooms that tenants are
forced to rent during the school year usually sublet cheaply, if at
all.
Apartments can be sublet either through bulletin boards around
campus, in the Off-Campus Housing o'ffice, in the Daily or Ann
Arbor News, or by word of mouth. If you have a premium apart-
ment, a palace compared to many of the shacks and shanties that
local landlords pass off as homes, you may' have an easier time
if you offer a fall option to any sublettor willing to rent your place
for the full amount (or a substantial portipn). Otherwise, just
write off your losses as part of the learning experience provided
by the Ann Arbor housing crunch; it's not much different in other
cities. If you're on the subletting end of the fall option, make
sure you get the option in writing or you might find yourself with-
out 'a place to live come September.
Some leases in Ann Arbor have clauses that deny a tenant
the right to sublet. These clauses are neither legal nor binding;
yovr landlord cannot unreasonably refuse you the right of your
choice of sublettor, even if there is such a clause. "Unreasonably"
is a vague term, however, and if you feel you're being slighted
in your dealings with your landlord, cantact Legal Aid or the
Tenants Union for legal advice.
If you find a tenant who is willing to sublet your apartment,
then you have to go about drawing up some sort of sublet agree-
ment. Some landlords allow their tenants to utilize a substitute
lease whereby subtenants take over the year's lease. The land-
lord invalidates your lease and 'writes up another for the next
tenants. Thus the new tenants must put up another security de-
posit, and are responsible for the premises.
MOST OF THE time, though, a landlord will have you use a
sublet lease whereby an agreement is made between you and your
subtenants. This guarantees the landlord that he/she will be get-
ting his'her full monthly rent check regardless of the amount
for which you subet your apartment. In 'effect, what happens
is that you (the tenant) becomes the landlord to the sublettor (the
subtenant), and are thus responsible for all unpaid utility bills,
unpaid rent. or damages that might' occur to the property while
you are away. You will prbably want to collect a security
deposit from the subtenants so as to protect yourself; but, remem-
ber, if you do, you are legally obligated like any other landlord,
to follow the .Secrity Deposit Act and all its secific requirements,
(Conies are available at Legal Aid and the Tenants Union).
Being a sub-landlord can be a lot less worrisome if you know
the people to whom you are subletting. but considering the present
situation, you don't always have much of a choice.
With a sublet lease, most landlords agree to take over the
resnonsibilities of collecting rent holding onto the' security de-
posits and dealing with the job of terminating the lease. (He/she
of course still has the resnonsibility of maintaining the premises
in good repair.) Occasionally. a landlord may ask for a fee for
this "favor". In any case, make sure that you and the landlord
check ort the aartment between the time vou move out and the
sh-tenants move in. so as to determine which damages are yours
and which are the new tenants' (a1 excluding normal wear and
tear, for which you cannot be charged).
CONTRARY TO POPULAR belief '(i.e.. landlord propaganda)
vou can sublet an apartment that is on rent strike. Instead of hav-
ing your subtenants deliver the sublet rent check to the land-
lord, have them send it into the escrow account. wherever that
may be. By subletting a rent striking apartment. both you and
the sublettor may be eligible for sharing some porion of the
eventual settlement. In addition, if yon are presently on rent strike,
a minor but often successful demand is the termination of your
lease on May 1 (or whene'7er you want): this lets you out of vainly
searching for subtenants whise your landlord gets you off his back a
bit early. This demand. however, should simply be one of many
demands.
If you can't find a subtenant for .your aoartment and wish tto
move o t you have a problem. Many tenants just end up forfeit-
ina their four months' rent check and just add to their already
The fur industry banks on our love.
of creature comforts. Integral to its
ability to procure profits is the humane
belief that beautiful skins more right-
fully belong wrapped around our
beautiful bodies than around those of
the 'original owners. This fetish'" for
fur has caused the near extinction of
the tiger and many other exotic fur-
bearers.
This past Tuesday, amidst Strong
protest from several environmental
groups throughout the world, Can-
ada removed the safety catch from
its collective shotgun and began itsh
annual slaughter of baby seals.
The idea of killing any animal to
placate a desire for luxury and status
is repugnant. Beyond this, the method
used by seal hunters is brutal and
painful to the animals, far more so
than any natural death the animals
might incur if left to live and die in
the wild. What the "sportsmen" miss
with their guns, they club to death,
until the seal is nothing more than
a bloody pulp of fur.
Protest by environmental groups
has 'been futile, and has met *with
..-n1 a, : -ntn sc.c' tsc a 1 i -
fishermen.
These are mighty limp justifica-
tions for wholesale slaughter. It is
obvious that the Canadian govern-
ment will not listen to the cries of
outrage coming from kind-hearted.
conservationists. The only solution for
putting a stop to this annual tragedy
is to put pressure on the hunters. The
best way to do this is to make it
economically unfeasible to kill the
seals. This would easily be accom-
plished by placing a very high tariff
on seal furs being imported into this
country. If other nations would com-
ply and put tariffs on, the market for
seal furs would cease to exist, and
the killings would follow suit..
But it is, doubtful if this tariff will
ever happen. Based on our past eco-
logical record - remember our stand
regarding whaling? - and the in-
herent love of luxury ingrained into
the American philosophy of life that
Veblen called "conspicious consump-
tion" (mode commonly referred to as
"keeping up with the Joneses"), it
just isn't likely that Americans will
give up their right to wear fur.
A ura v fn 'm - t 4y,+.P,,' ncmh' t. th
'AK N-.. 'M pt A N.\)E
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