European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 13, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday november 13, 1994 the stars and stripes Page 5 been very rewarding. These Guys will Bend Over Back wards if you ask them he Story of building a stand up writing desk for Caspar we Abberger when the defense Secretary re tired. Admira Lwilliam Crowe former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff called and asked if we could build one from scratch in five Days. I said no but my head teacher who was an inmate said we could. The Guys put in 90 hours that week he said. The busted their and to give themselves a Pat on the Back Coza said a plate was hidden somewhere in the desk that indicates who built it and when. Weinberger does know it s there but some Day if that desk is Ever taken apart they la find most products that inmates produce Are sold to government agencies Active duty military of retirees. Customers can expect to p a about a third of what they would on the outside said spokesman Capple for instance a pair of custom made Ostrich leather Cowboy boots recently sold for $350. A similar pair in the civilian world will Cost $1,000 and up Capple said. He said inmates make things that people in the Mili tary use or see every Day to shirts and Coffee mugs with a unit logo aircraft Tail stickers and specialize identification plates for military vehicles for other More recent High profile customers he said have been retired army Gen. Colin l. Powell former chairman of the join chiefs and president Clinton. Unlike their Federal and state counterparts for Leavenworth inmates Aren t paid hourly for their la Bors. Instead they get $35 a month for items such a shampoo soap shaving supplies and snacks. The final and perhaps the most important reason for the military s Success in rehabilitation is one that prison officials can t take credit for simply put Mili tary inmates Don t fit the profile of civilian inmates. They re different. Arnost All Are first time offend ers Tillery said. They already know what self discipline is All about they have a higher education level and they Veall experienced accomplishment since they Veall at least graduated from Basic and they re still subject to military rules and can fac another court martial while serving time or on parole. That allows Tillery to require some things of the in mates and staff that a civilian Warden can t. Inmate discipline is stronger which stops a lot of problems be fore they Start he said and sometimes i have to re mind inmates that they Are Here As a and As strange As it sounds Tillery demands that his staff treat All inmates with respect these people Don t need to be kicked when they re Down. They Are human beings and they will be respected for that r Simi to .,./. a v. 8&3 Cindy Wilton plants raised by inmates Are sold at a store run by the fort Leavenworth prison. Inmates also make such items As Coffee mugs and to shirts decorated with unit logos that Are sold to Active duty and retired military members. By Cindy Killion Washington Bureau fort Leavenworth Kan. Guards who work inside the . Disciplinary Barracks have Many of the same stresses As they would in combat. They re in a constant state of Vig Ilance said army it. Col. Neal Trent director of mental health for the facility. And if they make a mistake the consequences can be the guards Are All army corrections noncommissioned officers and other enlisted personnel. The Job Falls under the military police specially. The 400 guards stationed at fort Leavenworth make up about 70 percent of All corrections workers in the army. The rest Are primarily on duty at the Var ious regional corrections facilities scattered throughout the United states Europe and South korea.,the guards get a month of training at fort Mcclellan ala., and then an addition Al two weeks once they report to fort Leavenworth. During their tour they take courses in self defense hand to hand com Bat stress Relief and interpersonal skills. The guards Are not armed As a matter of course but when the situation demands they carry 9 my handguns. The Tower guards have shotguns and m16 rifles. The guard who comes in Here and a fool is the one who s going to get in trouble said staff sgt. Dean Goeson a guard supervisor. I be got one working for me right no that i have to talk to almost daily about his attitude toward the inmates Trent said there s no room for knuckled Aggers Here. They can t take the attitude that they re going to beat the inmates into the ground. That just causes More backlash and More problems. If you treat someone types of crimes 76.65%crimes anal not people crime against property 8.97 narcotic 11.3 other civilian crime 1.75 military crime 1,3 is like they be got nothing to lose that s exactly How they re going to a key element in the guard staff is the so called ready reaction Force which is poised at All times in Case of an emergency. Each guard at the facility wears a person Al body alarm which when activated will allow personnel in the Central Security of fice to locate the guard anywhere on the compound. Additional guards trained dog Sand the reaction Force will then be sent to the area. Inmates and their families give the guards High Marks Overall Carolyn Dock Mother of an inmate who is serving a life term for murder said the guards As a whole Are professionals. We hear of very few problems with them and when there is one the administration deals with that person very quickly Doc said. Former inmate Carl Worline agreed but said when there is a Jerk he can really make life miserable. The guards have the option of following the prison rules to the letter. They always say just remember i have the Power of the pen which mean they can write us up for minor infractions and Well get Good time or some privilege j staff sgt. . Capple did his first tour at the prison eight years ago As a i first started i had the attitude that these Guys Are scum and we should just lock them away until their time is done. I did believe in rehabilitation or that these Guys deserve another beginning he said. But now if i see that a Guy has t shaved i find out if this is a one shot Deal or if it s part of a larger pattern. Chances Are today i la Overlook minor his attitude change has some selfish basis said Capple now a prison about All of these inmates Are going to leave Here some Day and it s possible that one of them could be my neighbor he said. Do i really want my family to live next to someone who is bitter angry and hates All authority or do i want to live next to some one who believes in himself and wants to make a Good life m
