The Mi-rhigan Ba'tly Eighty-Seven Years of Editorial Freedom 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, M1 48109 Prison is very costly and I does more harm than good Thursday, November 1 , 1976 News Phone: 764-0552 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan Oil price bike could spell more ec0nHomic gloom THE OIL BARONS have done It again. It appears almost cer- tain now that the ministers of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will agree to an increase in the price of their oil from anywhere between 10 and 25 per cent. For anyone who uses oil products, which means just about everybody, this means higher prices since the OPEC crude figures so "prominently In the amount of world-wide produc- tion. - For the countries of Europe, the United States, and Japan - whose economies are already in a collec- tive slump - this can only come as more bad news. With the costs of production of consumer and Indus- trial goods being increased by this, both unemployment and prices will Increase. Yet the OPEC, nations say. that they need the price increases because of inflation in the West which has made the products that they buy more costly. Thus, a vicious circle ensues, with inflation in one begetting more in the other. For the United States, which im- ports 40 per cent of its oil, the hike in foreign oil prices will affect its un- employment and prices less than In other Western nations, which import nearly all of their oil; however, the economy will still be unable to ab- sorb the full impact of it without some loss in either direction. With such a large rate of unemployment and unexceptably high inflation al- ready, the prospects are grim indeed. To offset the effects of this action by the foreign petroleum price-fixers, we must either develop alternative forms of energy or lower the costs of other products used in industry. We would hate to have to lower pol- lution standards, or to rush headlong into dangerous forms of energy, so the former route appears blocked ex- cept for the most eminent alterna- tive energy source of all,-conserva- tion. The second route is also limited with respect to government action except for easing the money supply and thus loweringt the interest rate. Either way, difficult decisions will7 have to be made as the struggle for recovery receives yet another setback. TODAY'S STAFF: News: Tim Schick, Jeff Ristine, BillI Turque, Jay Levin, Laurie Young, Eileen Daley, Bill Yaroch Editorial Page: Rob Meachum, Tom Stevens, Jon Pansius Arts Page: Lois JosimovichI Photo Technician: Pauline Lubens By SUSAN HILDEBRANDT IT'S NO SECRET TODAY that pri- soners face a brutal life behind bars - one of deprivation, assault, loneliness and anger. But to many peo- ple, they are offenders with a debt to. pay and society needs the protec tion of its cells. Not, however, to the Michigan Coal- ition for Prison Alternatives (MCPA), a statewide coalition of individuals and organizations dedicated to ending pri- son construction in favor of "less ex- pensive and more humane and effec- tive alternatives." MCPA members believe that increas- ed prison construction provides no solu- tion to the grime problem and perpetu- ates an uniust and inhumane correc- tions system. The Coalition, according to spokesperson Marc Mauer, strives to establish a moratorium on prison construction or expansion in Michigan and devolep and implement alterna- tives which "offer greater protection for society and more just treatment- for the offender." "Prisons have been a failure since their inception," stated Matier. "In Michigan, 70-80 per cent of all releas- ed offenders will return to prison. And prisons are enormously expensive: the Department of Corrections' proposed budget for 1976-'77 is $80 million with most of that money going for -prison- related expenses. In Michigan, we are faced with the twin problems of steadi- ly increasing crime rates and an ex- panding system which is unable to provide any effect on crime. Obvious- ly, we are paying a high price for a system that is not working very well." SOCIETY CANNOT eliminate crime or its effects until, it conquers poverty and economic and racial discrimina-' tion, according to MCPA. Until that time, prisons, must be abolished and their construction halted because they often increase the likelihood that of- fenders, most of whom are poor, un- educated, minority men, will become "repeaters" upon release, MCPA con- tends. "Fancier and more humane prisons have been suggested for over 100 years, with no significant difference," Mauer stated. "The failure is in the institu- tion of the prison, not in the particu- lar conditions of any isolated prison. Prisons don't protect the public and they don't rehabilitate criminals." The Coalition concedes, however, that some people are truly dangerous to themselves and others and must be temporarily isolated from society in a setting that assures the public's protection and helps the offender. Eighty per cent of the people behind bars, though, are not violent, accord- ing to the Department of Corrections. For these people, prisons are the least workable option, MCPA asserts. THE.COALITION offers many sug- gestions for improving the criminal justice system and alleviating prison and jail overcrowding without building more facilities. Decriminalizing "victimless crimes" is one recommendation. This includes such crimes as prostitution, durg use, alcoholism and gambling which, accord- ing to MCPA, only affect individuals involved and do not harm society. "Rather than processing these per- sons through the criminal justice sys- tem, society can offer volunteer thera- pv programs or leave them alone," Mauer offered. Reforming the bail system to enable those people too poor to post bail to leave jail would end the need to build new detention facilities, according to MCPA Eighty to 90% of the persons who .presently fill jails are awaiting trial and have not been convicted of crimes, yet they cannot collect suffic- ient money for release, Department of Corrections statistics reveal. Pre-trial release should be based on a person's ties to the community and their likelihood of appearing for trial, MCPA claims. The Coalition also firm- ly supports programs which assist ar- restees in obtaining money to pay bail bondsmen. PRE-TRIAL DIVERSION, which al- lows defendants to utilize community resources rather than the justice sys- tem to construct better personal liv- ing 'situations is another MCPA sug- gestion. Particular categories of crime may be "diverted" out of the justice system under this program, thereby reducing court, prison and jail conges- tion and keeping such defendants from establishing prison records. "Defendants who have proved to be successful during the diversionary peri- od have their cases dismissed," Mauer explained. "These programs can be utilized as models for all aspects of the justice system to develop commu- nity based corrections. They have been very successful in many areas of the country." Halfway houses also serve as viable alternatives to prisons, according to the Coalition. Located in the commu- nity, these alternatives enable offend- ers to live in a community-based set- ting under the supervision of counse- lors who assist in their readjustment to the community. In this way, Mauer says, offenders are more productively integrated into society, their communi- ty ties remain unbroken, and they are less likely to commit other crimes. REALLOCATING PRISON construc- tion money for probation services also lessens prison failure, MCPA main- tains. By increasing the number of probation officers and community-bas- ed services, courts could more fre- quently rely on this "oldest and most widely accepted alternative to incar- ceration." "By placing more offenders on pro- bation with sufficient supervision, ef- ficiency and financial savings will re- sult," Mauer informed. Another alternative to the present penal system lies in reforming the parole system to make it "a more democratic and comprehensive proce- dure for determining release," MCPA' believes. "The parole system arbitrarily de- cides when an inmate is qualified for release from prison. Decisions are oft- en based on limited information and only brief discussionstwith inmates. themselves," Mauer stated. "Elimina- tion of parole in favor of 'flat time, (guaranteed release following a specific sentencing time) would also be more effective and take away that unknow- ing, hanging feeling inmates often have." , EACH SUGGESTED alternative is intended to better society as well as individual offenders. The use of resti- tution - compensating crime victims - does so perhaps more than all oth-, ers. Under this proposal, offenders. would pay back their victims during a reasonable period for such crimes as larceny, embezzlement, breaking and entering and petty theft. The Coali- tion suggests that this accompany pro- bation to assure full restitution. More than one-third of all offenses are against property, according to the De- partment of Corrections. Incarcerated individuals account for' only one and one-half per cent of the total crimes committed in the United States, the Coalition points out. How- ever, 400,000 people presently fill pri- son and jail cells throughout the coun- try, at an average annual cost of $12,000 per person. This money, accord- ing to MCPA, could easily support alternatives to. imprisonment and would separate inmates from the prison con- ditions which the -Coalition finds re- sponsible for their eventual bitterness - severe punishment, poor recreation- al, educational and social facilities, drug experimentation and sexual at- tacks. Longer prison sentences are often advised for treating offenders, a poli- cy with which the Coalition strongly disagrees. "SINCE PRISONS rarely achieve their goal of rehabilitation and most in- mates are eventually released to the streets, longer sentences will not pro- tect society in really significant ways," remarked Mauer. "Unless inmates are locked up for life, which is very un- realistic and extremely harsh, we must accept the fact that they will be re- leased at some point and must be pro- vided with skills and opportunities to help them function constructively. Con- ditions that exist in prisons today will not assist them in a smooth transi- tion," he continued. Mauer contends that longer prison sentences may actually increase a per- son's chances of committing a crime when released. He added that since the U.S. has almost the highest incarcera- tion and crime rates in the world; im- prisoning people does not deter crime. Despite the Coalition's contentions that prisons are. inhumane, ineffective and expensive, Michigan recently al- located more than $46 million to con- struct eight new prison facilities in the next three years to handle a projected 23 per cent increase in the prisoner population, indicating that the Depart- ment of Corrections does not plan to implement alternatives. MAUER DOES NOT FEEL that this increase in the prisoner population is inevitable, claiming it is based on an increase in felony convictions, longer prison stays, a reduced usage of pro- bation, and new laws requiring manda- tory sentencing for certain crimes. "We believe that building new pri- sons only diverts funds that could be better used for alternatives. All are less costly and more humane than pri- son and we'll all be better protected in the long run. The Coalition believes that the crime problem is great. There- fore, we urge all citizens to become involved in efforts to develop more just solutions. "We must stop this wasteful con- struction - all that is required is a diversion of funds and public atten- tion from the building of more prisons to alternative systems," Mauer con- cluded. LETTERS To The Daily: FROM ITS BRUTAL and uncompromising. stand in negotiations with the GEO it is clear what the University administration Wants: to bust all campus unions. With the economic "recovery" on the rocks, the capitalists offer the inflation-ravaged work- ing people peanut-boss politicians, massive unemployment and concerted union-busting drives. Students as well face attacks such as increased tuition, elimination of special programs and no sure prospect of employ- ment after graduation. At the University, the administration has effectively backed the GEO into a corner. As a result, the strikehvote was rsoundlydefeated with little hope left for a settlement on any°- thing but Fleming's terms. The Spartacus Youth League opposes this vicious union- busting campaign and calls on all students and campus workers to defend the GEO against these capitalist attacks! A union is a necessary tool in the strug- gle over living standards, ;:11 conditions and wages. However, time and a.in the GEO leadership has forfeited the fight be- fore it has begun. Its wage demands were a paltry S peer cent. It was quick to com- promise with the administration on most job-condition issues. Even the GEO's Af- firmative Action plan, which promised to undercut discrimination against minorities and women, was rendered meaningless by the GEO leadership's plea for the ad- ministration's "good faith effort to imple- ment the plan! The SYL opposes the race, sex and class bias inherent in the educa-, tional system and supports any attempt to undercut racial and sexual discrimina-_ tion in the universities. However, real, last- ing gains can only be the result of a fight for totally free higher education, open ad- missions for all who wish to learn, and a full stipend to enable all youth to go to school. AFTER MONTHS of retreat and capitu- lation by the GEO leadership, most of the membership saw little hope in a strike re- sulting in the failure of the strike vote. Fearful that a strike would confront mas- sive .scab-herding and little staff and stu- dent support, the GEO membership faced the prospect of losing their pobs. The weakness of the GEO stemming from a lack of unity among the campus unions fed into the current demoralization of the GEO ranks. Lacking the strength and social po- sition to seriously challenge capitalist rule, divided from the other campus unions and presented with the GEO leadership's no- win strategy, the present defatism ram- pant in the GEO and the rumoredtdecer- tification campaign result from the lack of a leadership based on a class-struggle program. The decertification of UAW local 2001 (clericals) last summer reflected a similar demoralization and defeatism flowing from the leadership's failure to fight the university's attacks along mili- tant, class-struggle lines. Any decertifica- tion attempt must be defeated! A winning strategy for the GEO must include the call for a campus-wide union from janitors to professors, excluding cam- pus cops and supervisory personnel. Such a campus-wide union, affiliated to a na- tional public employees' union, has the power to weld the entire campus workforce into a collective force capable of defending and extending gains at the expense of' the capitalist administration and smashing at- tacks, like Fleming's' current union-busting. Further, we call for the abolition of the bosses' administration and its replacement with teacher-student campus worker con- trol of the university, to democratize the schools at the expense of bourgeois author- ity an dstate bureaucratic interference in the educational process. SPARTACUS YOUTH LEAGUE November 9 Health Service Handbook By SYLVIA HACKER Down's syndrome (mongolism) and NANCY PALCHIK and, as it can determine the Question: sex of the fetus, it is helpful in I'VE HEARD THAT there is such sex related disorders as a procedure that would en- hemophilia and Duchenne mus- able a pregnant woman to find cular dystrophy. It has also been out if her baby were going to used to detect Tay-Sachs and be born with any birth defects. other diseases. Is this true? If so, could you AMNIOCENTESIS is most tell me more about it? useful for women who have al- Answer: ready borne a defective child, The prenatal diagnostic proce- have a family history of a ge- dure you have probably heard netic defect (or whose husbands about is called amniocentesis. do) or who are over the age of It is usually performed during 35 (the risk of birth defects in- the 15th or 16th week of preg- creases with the mother's age). nancy and involves inserting a A Northwestern University hollow needle through the moth- study shows the procedure to er's abdomen into the uterus, be remarkably accurate (out of and withdrawing a sample of 700 women tested, only 3 diag- the fluid surrounding the fetus noses were incorrect). It also (amniotic fluid). This fluid appears to be safe. One govern- contains cast-off fetal cells mental study comparing 1040 which can then be analyzed for women who received amniocen- signs of genetic defects. Al- tesis with a matched group who though the procedure is only did not, showed no significant helpful in detecting genetic dis- difference in complications to orders (as it involves an analy- either the mother or the child. sis of fetal chromosomes), the Some people have criticized number of such conditions for prenatal diagnosis on the which it is being used is widely grounds that it encourages abor- growing. It can usually reveal tion in those cases where the L e t te r s: fetus has a high probability of being born defective. While this is probably the case (and some might argue, appropriately so), more often the !procedure serves to reassure worried couples that the anticipated defects are not present (in the above mentioned governmental study of 95.7 per cent of the women undergoing the procedure learned that the suspected defect was absent, and in a National Foundation- March of Dimes study the com- parable figure was 97.2 per cent). In addition, in some in- stances, prenatal diagnosis may allow the fetus to be success- fully treated prior to birth. Question: Would you please answer a question my friends and I have been wondering about for a long time. Why aren't condoms placed pn regular display shelves in drug stores like any other nonprescription item? Is there any logical reason for the current practice of "hiding" them behind -the counter? Bringing them out into the 'open would certainly make, it ,a lot easier to purchase them. Answer: W/E ARE IN FULL agree- ment. Placing condoms on open display shelves would' make it a lot easier for the con- sumer to compare the various brands with regard to special features (tips, lubrication etc.) and prices, just as one would want to do with any other non- prescription item. It would also minimize the traditional embar- rassment that many men (and incidentally, women too) feel when they have to search out a salesnerson to inquire about purchasing condoms. This would encourage responsible contraceptive use. Unfortunately M i c h i g a n is one of those states that has a distinct rule regarding the sale of condoms. Specifically, they must be dispensed by a pharma- cist and cannot be a self-service item. This, by the way, is also the reason why they cannot be sold in vending machines as is the practice in some states. Incidentally, this rule does not apply to contraceptive foams, creams and jellies and these nonprescription items are found on open display in phar- macies. So condom users of Michigan-unite! Send any health related ques- tions to: Health Educators U-M Health Service 207 Fletcher Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 taff Candidates wrong on abortion * 1(E'y ' } , . I By Marnie Heyn I Buckley-ioynihan To The Daily: I AM A LIBERAL Democrat from New York. James Buck- ley represents all the policies I deeply oppose. Mr. Buckley's election to the U. S. Senate was, in my opinion, a sad episode in New York political history. Let us, however, be fair. Keith Richburg, in his dis- gustingly (and laughably) bias- ed "analysis" of the New York Senate race, did an extreme disservice to the liberals he obviously represents. His apolo- gy for Buckley's "distorted sense of reality" by assuring us that not just Jim but broth- er' Bill and the rest of the Buckley clan are all "dement- :rl enhn s pnrc-ahta ad Finally, Richburg's character- ization of conservative philoso- phy as "demented," and his statement that "normal people will tend to laugh off" conserva- tive Buckley are astounding. My goodness, Mr. Richburg, you take a modern political philosophy dating back to the 19th Century originally es- poused by such luminaries as Edmund Burke and Chateau- briand, and you chop it to pieces in one photograph! Wow! Even Eric Severeid couldn't do that! Look Keith. I detest Mr. Buckley's political philosophy as much as you do. I fervently hope he is defeated on Nov. 2. But fair is fair. To attack Buck- ley personally, to call him "sick and demented" serves no pur- pose. It serves only to alienate *I n _ inr annnrnn .snyln :rncr ABORTION AS A CAMPAIGN issue played a peculiar role in our recent presidential elec- tion (which may be the most under-interpreted jingoist race within memory). Both candidates are unalterably opposed, personally, to abortion, but apparently feel that a Constitutional amend- ment to prohibit abortion, and thus wiggle around the 1972 Supreme Court ruling, is either too much work or too big a can of worms - a strange posi- tion for two men who were promising energetic, moral leadership. Perhaps they were trying to out-waffle each other. The Council of Catholic Bishops ambushed Car- ter and gnashed their teeth vigorously; then the "Catholic vote" fell into its traditional Demo- cratic slot. Was the Catholic laity sending a message to Rome? Was some arcane chemistry drawing Catholic voters to Carter respite his posi- tion on abortion, which was, superficially at lease, identical to Ford's? Apparently the heavy- duty media pundits weren't confused by all this -but then they called Dole a "wit" instead of a bully so what could they know? the ERA, and the anti-abortion people were stuf- fing envelopes. Perhaps all this lack of fervor 'is really tacit support for the Supreme Court ruling (or, alter- nately, wallowing in the status quo). And, possi- bly, part of the defusing of anti-abortion senti- ment can be explained with the help of another, non-electoral, statistic: according to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, three (3) women died during 1975 as a medical consequence of illegal abortions. Even when the 74 deaths fol- lowing legal abortions are added to that figure, the total is nowhere nearly as horrifying as the tens of thousands of instances of maternal moral- itv that were racked up each year preceding the 1972 Supreme Court ruling (although 77 is prob- ably still too many). SINCE FEWER WOMEN who condone abor- tion are dying each year, the suitably Darwinian result is that more people who favor abortion will be around to vote. And without being too nastily sophistic, it is possible to argue that the Supreme Court's 1972 format conforms to the