The Michigan Daily
n-Thursday, May 21, 1981
Sixteen Pages
Milliken
order could
free 900
prisoners
A HAPPY ROBERT Tisch and a solemn Gov. William Milliken reflect the
respective moods of Proposal A opponents and supporters following its
sound -defeat Tuesday. Tisch, the Shiawassee Drain Commissioner, is
already gearing up for a campaign to pass his new Tisch III tax plan while
Milliken said he will try to devise a compromise plan to head off a severe
Tisch cut. See story, Page 3.
Michigan forest fire contained
Hundreds of firefighters contained a wind-whipped forest fire late
last night that raged through the northern lower penninsula and forced
many residents to flee their homes. See story, Page 5.
N0 SUSPCT IN EARLYMORNING ABDU
LANSING (UPI) - Gov. William
Milliken issued an emergency
declaration yesterday which will free
as many as 900 inmates in order to
reduce the state's swollen prison
population.
Milliken's declaration came only
hours after the state Corrections Com-
mission officially certified - for the
third time this year - that Michigan
prisons have been packed 'beyond
capacity for 30 consecutive days.
THE ORDER - expected to free
shout 900 prisoners by reducing their
minimum sentences - was required
under the 1980 prison crowding law,
which recently passed a crucial court
test.
The commission certified that
Michigan's prisons currently are about
237 inmates over capacity. The present
population is 13,111, while the capacity
limit is 12,874. The prisons have been
over capacity for 69 days.
State Corrections Director Perry
Johnson said about 49 inmates have
already been certified for parole and
are simply awaiting the completion of
final paperwork. He said the first
prisoner probably will be released
Tuesday.
HOWEVER, Johnson said, most
prisoners to be released will come from
halfway houses, not institutions.
"I think there is the impression
among some that 1;000. hardened
criminals are going to be released en
masse from Southern Michigan Prison
at Jackson tomorrow," Johnson said.
He expected 500 to 600 will come from
communitysprograms and 300 to 400
from prisons.
TECHNICALLY, prisoners freed
from halfway houses do not count
toward alleviating overcrowding.
However, their release will allow a
group of inmates to be shifted from in-
stitutions, thus cutting down the prison
population in that manner, Johnson
said.
In its letter to the governor, the
Corrections Commission said all ad-
See MILLIKEN, Page 4
- Woman
By ANN MARIE FAZIO
A University employee was ab-
ducted at gunpoint and raped near
University hospital early Tuesday
morning, police said yesterday, ad-
ding that they have no suspect in
custody.
The victim, an aide in Hospital
operations, was walking up the
stairs of the Adult Psychiatric
Hospital's back entrance at shortly
before 7 a.m. when she was confron-
ted by a man in his mid-20s, accor-
ding to police. The assaif ant repor-
tedly held a small barreled gun to
her and ordered her to leave the
building with him.
THEY THEN walked down N.
Hospital Drive and down a hill to a
wooded area behind the Children's
Psychiatric Hospital and the North
Outpatient Building, police said.
The victim had reportedly been.
warned by her assailant that she
would be killed if she tried to scream
raped near Arb
for help. She attempted to resist on- said. Hospital security was tripled, a
ce, police said, and was choked night patrol and escort service were
"nearly to unconsciousness." initiated, and perimeter patrolling
was increased.
AFTER THE attack, the victim
fled the area, later finding herself at
a gas station on N. Main. She then
reportedly telephoned an off-duty
policeman whom she knew.
This has been the first rape on
University Hospital property since
1973, according to hospital infor-
mation officer Joseph Owsley. The
assailant in that case was caught
and is now serving a life sentencein
Jackson State Prison. These are the
only two rape incidents on hospital
property in the past 10 years that
Owsley was aware of.
After the 1973 incident, the
hospital stepped up security
measures to insure safety, Owsley
AS precautionary measures, all
hospital doors are locked from 6
p.m. to 6 a.m., with the exceptions of
the main entrance and the entrances
to the emergency room and the
Women's Hospital.
Owsley said hospital officials are
currently evaluating the situation to
see if Tuesday's rape could have
been prevented. Owsley said he
believes the last changes made have
been very effective considering the
size of the area that needs to be
patroled.
It is too early to say what actions ABOVE IS A composite sketch of the man accused
will be taken, Owsley said, adding of abducting and raping a University Hospital em-
that they may make some unan- ployee early Tuesday morning. The police drawing
nounced changes in patrol. was made from the descriptions offered by the vic-
tim.