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Show Carl A. RobinsTalks With PARADE'S Sid Ross don't editors note: Ever since the bloody uprisings at Attica and elsewhere, the state of America's prisons has become a matter of acute public concern. lias the penal system been doing its job , or are our prisons nothing but futile and festering jungles? To get an uncensored inside view, Sid Ross interviewed lifer Carl A. Robins, No. 184651, at Ellis Unit of the Te.:as Department of Corrections. Texas prisons, which have undergone considerable improvement in recev years, would probably be considered above average in their treatment of prisoners. HUNTSVILLE, TEX. like, to keep prisoners in line and constantly aware of who's running the show. But on the other hand, prisoners in the Texas Department of Corrections are kept busy, and they aren't punished for the sake of punishment. It wasn't always like that here. When I first hit the Texas prison system back in 1954, we worked in the fields from 6 a.m. to sundown in all kinds of weather. Men used to cut their heel tendons to keep from being sent out. At night, in the brick barn where we were locked up, it was dog eat dog fighting, stealIt was ing, gambling and drug-takina wild scene, a terrible way to live. Now there has been a change. TDC has changed from a cage of terror to a progressive penal institution in many ways. Each of its 16 units has a gymnasium, movies, color TV and a good library. There's plenty of activity, like pop bands and jazz bands, writing, painting and handicrafts aimed at keeping prisoners busy, making them feel like less of a prisoner so they can develop new ways of thinking. What about work? That's changed most of all. Today a prisoner in TDC is surrounded by specialized training and educational workshops. Among the vocational programs guess I'm an expert on prisons, Mr. Ross. I've been in enough of them eight altogether. Most of my adult life has been spent behind bars for crimes like robbery, forgery and possession of drugs. Naturally I've followed the news and television reports about what's happened in places like Attica very closely. I can't say for sure what goes on in those places. But having served over 13 years off and on in the Texas Department of I do Corrections, know what's happening here and I have some ideas about whats wrong with the penal system in general. What's it like in jail here, Mr. Robins? Well, it isn't exactly a Boy Scout There are camp. many tough rules I A prisoner's mug shots: this 7965 double portrait is in Robins' record. at Ellis Unit of the Texas prison cell; as senior, he gets his choice of bunks. Lifer Carl A. Robins, No. 184651, sits in his cell system. Robins shares a three-ma- n g. are electronics, welding, plumbing, auto mechanics, and orthopedic shoe- making. The idea is to prepare the inmate for free world But employment. only a few inmates are able to take these courses and jobs on the outside are scarce. Are prisoners paid? No, they're not, and they should be. This is one demand the Attica inmates made that I agree with fully. It should be at least the minimum wage scale but it should also be based on need. A man with a family should get more than a single man. As it is, what we do in prisons is slave labor. What's a typical day? The steam whistle wakes us at 6 a.m. Breakfast is at 6:30, but if you want to stay in bed and miss it, you can. The whole block lines up for work at 7:15 you have to make your bed, tidy up your cell, get washed and dressed by then. Work starts by 7:30. At 11:15 a.m. there's a quick shakedown, then a complete stripdown before entering the mess hall. At 12:30, back to work until 3:50 p.m., then straight to the shower room and back to the cell. Supper is at 5, and then recreation in the evening. You read, watch TV, play chess or dominoes. We're locked back in our cells and the lights are turned off at 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 11. What do you mean by "shake-downs- socks and everything in your pockets, and you stand arms outstretched while they pat you all over. It's an integral part of prison life. We get shook down every time we enter the "tank." That means coming back from each meal, coming back from the job, from school, from the barber shop, and so on. On a stripdown you take off all your clothes and shoes and hand them to the gUard for examination. He even hits your shoes together. I've seen gus caught with a knife or a file taped to their calf. These shakedowns are annoying but I guess it's necessary. But they are humiliating. I wish they could do it some other way, like with these metal detectors they have on airlines. How do you explain the unrest that's sweeping prisons? The typical prisoner in the average prison, regardless of age, race, or criminal background, is poor, uneducated, and unable to earn a decent living on the outside. He is a huge wad of frustration. Whether he serves two years or ten, he leaves prison just as confused and hopeless as when he came in. His to remove your shoes and continued ?" You have X. 7 |