Page 4-Wednesday, June 3, 1981-The Michigan Daily
Inmate release
haltedin
Kent County,
LANSING (UPI) - A state appeals
court yesterday, in a bid to challenge a
Kent County early release program to"
ease crowding at the county jail, or-
dered a stay of the program until the
case has been heard.
Kent County Prosecutor David
Sawyer filed the suit in the Michiganr
Court of Appeals last week to protest"
the early release plan, which was or-
dered by Kent County Judges and has "
resulted in the release of 46 prisoners. ,
IN ISSUING THE order to stay the
early release plan, the appeals court
made Kent County Sheriff Phillip Hef--
fron a defendant in the case and notified
Gov. William Milliken of the
proceedings.
Milliken was - notified because
Sawyer contends that Kent County
judges usurped the governor's power to
commute sentences by ordering Hef-
fron to release certain prisoners before Kelly
their terms have been served.
Sawyer, who has fought the early ... calls for prison funding
release program since its adoption May prisons, noting Michigan's penal
14, said the decision represents a vic- system has been growing much more
tory for people who have seen too many slowly than the general population,
criminals arrested only to return to the despite an increasing crime rate.
streets without adequate punishment. The rioting which hit Jackson, the
MEANWHILE, misconduct charges Michigan Reformatory in Ionia and
are expected this week over an Marquette Branch Prison last month
unauthorized shakedown blamed for followed weeks of growing
triggering riots at Southern Michigan disagreement between state officials
Prison. A union spokesman warned and the Michigan Corrections
yesterday that stern action could cause Organization over staffing levels and
laborunrest. security procedures in the peniten-
A spokesman for the Department of tiaries.
Corrections confirmed published repor- The MCO admits union members
is that misconduct charges are expec- initiated a lockdown and search of
ted to be filed today or tomorrow again- prisoners on the morning of May 22 in
st guards suspected of organizing an response to attacks on two guards the
unauthorized lockup and search for night before.
weapons, that could lead to penalties "TO MY understanding, there are
ranging from reprimand to dismissal. going to be some misconduct charges
He also said reprimands have been brought" against guards involved, said
issued to seven guards accused of John Robitschun of the corrections
balking last week when ordered to department. He refused to confirm a
release prisoners in Jackson's recep- published report that six to 10 guards
tion and guidance center for routine would be cited.
testing. Fred Parks, executive director of the
IN HOLLAND, Attorney General MCO, said the mood in the prisons is
Frank Kelley called on the legislature tense and any strong action such as a
to appropriate funds needed for new dismissal could trigger a walkout.
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4
In Brief
Compiled from Associated Press and
United Press International reports
Begin tops poll for first
timein two years
TEL AVIV, Israel - Prime Minister Menachem Begin's Likud political
bloc has pulled ahead in an opinion poll for the first time in two years, and 28
days before elections it is seen leading the Labor Party by 45 seats to 42 in
the 120-member Parliament.
Opinion polling is a young science in Israel, and large discrepancies
between soundings are common. But if the latest poll is accurate, it signifies
a remarkable turnaround from last summer, when Begin was believed sure
to go down in crushing defeat.
Labor Party officials said they treat all polls with reservation and
remain confident of at least 52 seats. Party spokesman Israel Peleg said
Labor was counting not on polls but on its ability to get out the vote on elec-
tion day.
Likud officials, who have not seen a favorable poll since Begin signed the
March 1979 peace treaty with Egypt, toasted the event with champagne, ac-
cording to a party spokeswoman. It came on the eve of Begin's summit with
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, a meeting Likud strategists hope will
remind the voters that it was hawkish Begin --not the dovish Labor Party -
that gave Israel its first peace accord with an Arab state.
Most important, perhaps, is that Begin maintains iron-fisted control
over his party - a quality that Shimon Peres, Labor Party's candidate,
seems to lack.
Laser fizzles in missile test
WASHINGTON - The Air Force's push for a revolutionary laser
weapon turned up a dud in a secret attempt to use high-intensity light to
destroya 2,000-mph missile, it was learned yesterday.
"The test failed and we don't know why," said Col. Bob O'Brien,
spokesman for the Air Force Systems Command, when asked about the air-
borne experiment over the China Lake, Calif., range on Monday.
Had it succeeded, the effort to destroy a supersonic air-to-air missile
with a laser beam shot from a special laboratory plane would have marked
significant progress toward a weapon that couldf drastically change the
character of warfare. Pentagon spokesman Henry Catto also acknowledged
failure of the test.
Scientists say there are considerable difficulties in propagatjing effec-
tive high-energy laser beams in the atmosphere because atmospheric fric-
tion tends to lower beam intensity. Also, bad weather, clouds, smoke or other
phenomena absorb laser-beam energy and limit the range of such weapons.
Technicians are trying to find out why the test failed, O'Brien said, and
the results of those evaluations will determine when another attempt is
made. He would not speculate on how long this might take.
While stressing the importance of this test, officials have emphasized
that a practical laser weapon, which would revolutionize warfare, is still
years away.,
Average cost for new
homes reaches record high
WASHINGTON - The average cost of a new house in April reached a
record $84,000, the government reported yesterday, putting it out of reach
for more than 97 percent of American families by a trade group's estimate.
"The decline ... certainly portends severe housing problems in the
future," said Jack Carlson, chief economist of the National Association of
Realtors.
Potential homebuyers are hard hit by inflation', which has increased the
cost of the government's same "constant house" of 1,700 square feet from
$54,200 in 1977 to $79,900 in the first three months of this year.
Bangladesh President buried;
coup leader slain
DACCA, Bangladesh - President Ziaur RahmaA was buried at an
emotion-charged ceremony yesterday after enraged village guards killed
the major general who launched the coup in which Zia was assassinated.
About 10 other people were reported slain in clashes between government
and rebel forces.
Six howitzers fired a 21-gun salute to the 45-year-old warrier-hero of the
1971 battle for independence who led the successful coup four years later to
take control of Bangladesh and who was assassinated with seven aides
Saturday in the port of Chittagong by troops led by Maj. Gen. Abul Manzr.
'teamsters vote for loyalty oath
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Teamsters delegates yesterday voted to require
members to take a sweeping union loyalty oath apparently aimed at
dissidents, then considered other constitutional amendments including one
to boost the salary of indicted Teamsters President Roy Williams to $225,000
a year.
The union loyalty oath, which was adopted without floor dissent, would
require members to pledge "not to bring reproach upon the union" and "not
divulge to non-members the private business of the union."