#prison security

[inmate62763]

Banged up in the SHU at Pelican Bay.

Banged up in the SHU at Pelican Bay.

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"Used at St. Vincent-de-Paul: Metal scanners for airlines?" Montreal Star. September 11, 1970. Page 27. ---- By DUNCAN HAIMERL ---- Airlines, faced with considering more stringent security checks, could adopt prison-type metal detectors to check for weapons on passengers.

But some of the devices, while ideally suited for prison conditions, may mean extra difficulties for airline staffs.

The common one used in prisons is a personnel scanner which an inmate walks through. Any metal on his person is indicated by a bell and a more thorough search is carried out to find the object.

Any metal unfortunately means just that, and the metal can include a zip per, a ring, a watch or a pen as well as a knife or similar weapon.

However, a trained person might be able to tell just how much metal is there and a high meter reading and steadily-ringing bell could mean a gun.

Jean Page, director of the Special Correctional Unit at St.-Vincent-de-Paul Penitentiary his Rens Personnel Scanner, an eight-foot high walkthrough machine does the prison job with ease.

"But we know what the inmate is wearing," he said. "What will they do on the airlines? Ask all the passengers to wear coveralls with nylon zippers? I don't think it's what they want."

A smaller hand-held metal detector may be the answer, he said, because it's held against the person's clothing and indicates where exactly the metal is and roughly how much there is.

Sensitive enough to detect a dime in a person's hand or pocket, the Transfrisker emits a varying tone de pending on the size of the metal object and could check luggage for large metal objects.

Some airlines already use a type of metal detector for passengers and lug- gage but officials were hesitant to point out what type they used.

Suggestions were made that fluoroscope or x-ray machines could be used. However, this could mean passengers would be given above-normal exposure to the machines, with uncertain health effects.

Two Canadian suppliers of the metal detection units said they have not been contacted by airlines since the recent rash of hijackings prompted tighter security measures.

But they added they would be ready to co-operate with the airlines' requests. Some checks may be made with airlines already using the devices to determine their suitability and also see whether design changes must be made.

NEW USE FOR METAL DETECTORS? How prison-type metal detectors could be used for checking for guns on plane passengers is demonstrated by Edgar Robitaille, assistant security chief of the Special Correctional Unit at St. Vincent-de-Paul Penitentiary, and reporter Duncan Haimerl. In background is an eight-foot high walkthrough detector called a Rens Personnel Scanner.

Staff Photo by Gerry Davidson

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"Guards back warden," Kingston Whig-Standard. November 21, 1972. Page 17. ---- An unofficial union source at Joyceville Institution said Monday, that union members are completely satisfied with the way Warden C. W. Chitty handled the sit-down strike by inmates that ended yesterday. The source, a member of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, who asked not to be identified, said members were pleased with the support Warden Chitty gave to the guards and other personnel during the five-day strike.

He said that releases given to the media by the administration were extremely accurate and represented the situation fairly.

However, the source said that the recent events at Joyceville will serve as a re minder of the need for more staff at the institution. He said officials of the penitentiary service should impress upon the treasury board, the government body that allocates funds to the various departments, that more money is needed for additional staff. ***

"Assessing situation, says Chitty," Kingston Whig-Standard. November 21, 1972. Page 17. --- The big task at Joyceville Institution is to return that penitentiary to normal after a five-day sit-down strike by in-mates that ended Monday morning.

Warden C. W. (Bill) Chitty, said today that he is assessing methods of getting the institution back to normal.

Some of the staff have been given time off to rest after working 12-hour shifts during the five-day strike.

The inmates are locked in their cells and are being fed there, according to Mr. Chitty. He said that he wants to take time to assess the inmates and administration positions so that an attempt can be made to return to a normal schedule within the next few days.

He said that he will issue a statement within the next few days that will detail the ad-ministration's stance.

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"Tightening of security at Millhaven prison," Kingston Whig-Standard. October 20, 1971. Page 47. --- Convicts at Millhaven Penitentiary will face a tough task if they ever attempt an escape over the chain link fence which surrounds the new prison. A crew of 50 men from Canadian Forces Base, Petawawa, on Tuesday began installing rolls of heavily barbed wire around the top of the fence. The estimated 4,200 feet of fencing is expected to be in place by Friday. The barbed wire is similar to that used for fortification during the Second World War.

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"At Millhaven Penitentiary: Barbed wire used for extra security," Kingston Whig-Standard. October 18, 1971. Page 19. ---- Rolls of heavily barbed wire are being installed around Millhaven Penitentiary to discourage inmates from scaling the 14-foot chain link fences currently surrounding the maximum-security penitentiary.

A crew of 50 men from the second combat group of Canadian Forces Base at Camp Petawawa are to begin installation Tuesday morning, ac cording to a press release from the office of the com-missioner of penitentiaries, Paul Faguy. The estimated 4,200 feet of fencing will be in place by Friday.

The wire, obtained from the Canadian Armed Forces, is concertina wire, similar to that used for fortification during wartime. The wire will be in addition to present security measures, consisting of armed guards on towers and a vehicle patrol outside the institution perimeter.

Wire will be attached to the top of the outermost fence, in addition to being installed in the 15-foot area between the two fences which run parallel around the institution's perimeter.

Prisoners were informed last week of the new security measure through a meeting between about 12 members of the inmate committee and Donald Clark, the institution's warden.

"There was no feedback at all," Mel Willard, assistant Warden, told The Whig-Standard this morning. "I assume they took it in their stride."

Penitentiary reaction was favorable, said Mr. Willard, through the staff hadn't been worried.

The fencing was not requested by the institution, ac-cording to both the release and Mr. Willard. It was agreed upon by advisors to Solicitor General Jean-Pierre Goyer. Similar measures were taken several weeks ago for Archambault Institution, the federal maximum security penitentiary at Ste. Anne-des-Plaines, P.Q. built on the same design as Millhaven. About a month ago several inmates escaped over the Archambault fences.

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"Two convicts fail to return from temporary weekend leaves," Kingston Whig-Standard. October 18, 1971. Page 19. --- Two convicts from Kingston prisons, who were in Toronto last weekend on temporary leaves of absence, are report ed missing today by penitentiary officials.

Missing are Eldon Thomas Tutty, 26, who was serving a six-year term at Kingston Penitentiary for robbery with violence and break and enter, and Gordon James Gardner, 59, who was serving a two-year term at Collins Bay Penitentiary farm annex for break, enter and theft.

Tutty eluded his police escort while attempting to res-store relationships with his wife. Gardner failed to return to Collins Bay Penitentiary following a three-day leave of absence.

KP Warden A. J. Jarvis said Tutty, who was on a temporary, one-day leave of absence, eluded his escort at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Toronto and Kingston police were notified immediately.

Tutty was admitted to the institution here in February, 1971, to serve a six year term.

Gardner, who was on a three-day leave of absence, was to have visited St. Leonard's House and Toronto and attempt to seek employment.

He failed to return to the Collins Bay farm annex at 11 p.m. Sunday. Gardner was scheduled to be released June 2, 1972.

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"FORBIDS CONVICT LABOR ON PRISON WATCH TOWERS," Chicago Tribune. December 1, 1942. Page 14. --- Convict labor is not being used in the erection of new towers on the Stateville penitentiary walls, Warden Joseph E. Ragen said yesterday as he reported progress of the work. Two of the towers are nearly completed, he said, and three others are under way. Construction delay was due to difficulties in getting the material needed, not to a labor shortage, he said. The towers are to be of brick around a framework of wood. The 4 by 4 inch beams needed for the braces were particularly hard to get, harder to get than the carpenters and other mechanics needed, Ragen said. Convicts do some of the work on the ground, inside the walls, but they are not allowed on top. On foggy days Ragen permits no convicts to be outside the cellhouses, he explained. If they are in the yard and a fog appears they are hurried to their cells and kept there the rest of the day.

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"Stateville Warden Quits; Sullivan In Charge," Chicago Tribune. October 19, 1942. Page 1 & 17. ---- GOVERNOR ACTS IN PRISON QUIZ: ASSAILS CRITICS ---- Orders New Guard Towers Built. ----- (Picture on page 17.) Warden Edward M. Stubblefield of Stateville penitentiary resigned last night within two hours after Gov.Dwight H. Green had placed the prison in chargeof T. P. Sullivan, state director of public safety.

Stubblefield issued this brief statement:

"I have tendered my resignation to the director [Sullivan] and the governor, effective immediately, in order that the director may have a free hand in a comprehensive and thoro investigation into the deplorable incident of a week ago last Friday.

"The incident to which Stubblefield referred was the escape of Roger Touhy, Basil [The Owl] Banghart, and five other convicts.

Sullivan took charge while Stubblefield was returning from Chicago, where the retiring warden presented his resignation to Gov. Green.

Promises Military Strictness. Sullivan promptly announced that the prison would henceforth be operated as tho it were a military institution, with full recognition of the desperate character of the inmates.

The safety director placed the military régime into effect as he entered the penitentiary to take charge. Instead of announcing himself and ordering the guards to let him in, he telephoned from the prison gate to Walter Moody, former chief of the state highway police who was appointed deputy warden last week.

Moody hurried to admit him, but Sullivan insisted upon passing thru the so-called electric eye gate, where an electric beam detects any metal upon the person entering. [The seven convicts who escaped carried gunsthat had been smuggled into the prison.]

Submits Himself to Search. Sullivan surrendered his pearl handled revolver before taking the electric eye test. He turned his suitcases over to guards for search.

"Everybody who enters the prison;from this time on will go thru them electric eye," said Sullivan.

Sullivan emphasized that Stubblefield's resignation was voluntary and that its acceptance implied no criticism of the retiring warden.

No criticism of Stubblefield came from the governor, who is personally is directing the inquiry into the escape. Stubblefield himself has blamed they escape on the fact that the war and9 defense industries have taken 120 of his guards in the last two years, and that he has been forced to replace them with inexperienced men.

Family to Move Soon. Stubblefield and his wife and daughter remained in their quarters at the prison last night. The ex-warden said that they will move as soon as possible to his farm home-estead at Brighton, in Macoupin county, where he was formerly sheriff.

Stubblefield has been in public life for 20 years. He was an assistant warden under previous governors. In 1934 Alfred M. Landon, then governor of Kansas, engaged him as assistant warden of the Kansas prison at Lansing, where he remained until 1937. Gov. Green made him warden of the Stateville and Joliet prisons a year ago. The two prisons are under one management, with an assistant warden in charge at Joliet under the warden's direction.

Gov. Green issued this statement relative to increasing the efficiency at the prisons yesterday before sending Sullivan to take charge: "In keeping with my promise to advise the people of the results of the Investigation into the shocking escape of seven convicts from the Stateville prison, Oct. 9, I am stating to the public those conclusions made after a week of intensive inquiry into every phase of the prison break and outlining the immediate steps to remedy the faults revealed. I have devoted the most of my own time to the inquiry, and since I personally went to Stateville and inspected the prison and questioned guards and other witnesses I have received constant reports from officials of the state penal administration.

"Loose statements regarding conditions at Stateville prison and circumstances of the prison break have been both spoken and written. Some of them are utterly without foundation, made doubtless in the effort to convert the escape into political capital as the election draws near. So that the public may be rightly informed, the situation at Stateville now, and before the escape of the Touhy-Banghart gang, should be clarified.

Tells Personnel Difficulties. "Conditions have existed at Stateville prison which call for remedies.

These conditions have been caused largely by the almost insurmountable obstacle of obtaining the best personnel. I am sure that every one realizes the serious deterioration of service in every line of effort except in concentrated war industry. It has been exceedingly difficult to maintain the high standards of efficiency and regard for duty which activated the prison force prior to the enlisting of so many men in the military services and the enticement of high wages in industry. Steps to alleviate this condition insofar as possible had already been taken before the prison break. They are being pursued now with the utmost diligence.

"This investigation will continue until the last true fact is determined and any inexcusable laxity, any collusion with convicts, any coddling of convicts on the part of any prison employé will be dealt with summarily, and if warranted, will be punished to the limit of the law. I have inspected Stateville prison several times and undoubtedly it is equipped physically with the best facilities. In fact, I have heard it referred to as 'America's model prison.'

Human Element Big Factor. "Having provided these facilities, the state must depend on the human element as the other great factor in proper administration and possibly this latter element is even of greater importance than physical conditions. When the human element is weakened, or becomes confused and incompetent, penal administration is seriously handicapped.

"So as to assist in lightening this burden, concentrating on precision efficiency and intensively training available personnel, I have directed T. P. Sullivan, director of public safety, to take charge of the Stateville and Old Prison at Joliet at once.

"Thru his many years of work in criminology and penology, Sullivan is nationally recognized as an authority on both. When the department of public safety was created, Sullivan, who had headed the division of crime detection, was chosen as director of the new department because of his wide experience and his excellent record. Sullivan has made all phases of criminology his career, and only recently his success was further recognized when he was elected vice-president of the International Assoclation of Chiefs of Police.

Gives Him Full Authority. "Sullivan has been given full-authority to take any steps necessary to correct the faults that have become apparent and not return to his full duties as director of public safety until he can report that this has been done. Any possible future adjustments or changes in administration of the prison will depend on that report. There is one thing certain -we do not intend that there shall be any more prison breaks in Illinois.

"I have discussed necessary changes with Director Sullivan. Several of these are being accomplished now and the others will be undertaken at once. Until we can improve the quality of the personnel, which we also are striving to do, most of these changes will increase physical safeguards even beyond ordinary requirements so that the least possible dependence will be placed upon manpower.

"Guard towers at Stateville are to be increased by five and the first concrete will be poured tomorrow.

Police Reënforce Guards. "State highway policemen, fully armed and instructed to take no chances, have been assigned to re-enforce the guards in the towers and squad cars are patroling outside the walls.

"Guards will not be permitted to drive their own cars to the towers. Instead, they will be conveyed in squad formation, dropping the relief man at each tower as is done on military reservations. Guards also will be assigned to different towers each day and kept unaware of their locations until guard mount. Because of the failure of new guards to realize the efficiency of the telephone, a push-button alarm system will be installed, so that a guard, even when lying on the floor, can push a button and indicate the location of a disturbance.

"Desperate and cunning criminals will be kept separated, even if it is necessary to remove them from Stateville to the cell blocks in the old prison.

"Closer search is being made of all persons entering or leaving the prison. Closer inspection is being made of all incoming shipments of supplies. Older and more experienced guards have been instructed to report all evidence of fraternizing between guards and prisoners."The attempt to make political capital out of the prison break and statements that civil service regulations have been ignored are almost too fantastic to call for comment, but because these statements really emanate from the inability to obtain experienced personnel the true facts shall be presented."

A civil service examination for prison guards was held last spring and the list of those who passed it was exhausted within 40 days. With 350 men employed, the turnover then, and now, reaches the alarming rate of 50 men a month.

A great number of state employés in all departments have entered the armed forces, and a man mentally and physically competent to serve as a first rate prison guard can earn three times more in industry. After this first list was exhausted replacements were made under provisional civil service appointments subject to future examination.

"That examination was advertised 60 days ago and will be held Oct.24. The list closed Sept. 19. Recent guard replacements at Stateville have been made, and are being made, from those who will take that examination and their retention, regardless of any partisanship, will be subject entirely to their examination rating.

"I am sure this refutes the statements referred to and establishes our desire to obtain the best possible prison personnel. The investigation will be continued until every possible way to improve Stateville prison and its administration has been adopted."

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Copy. KINGSTON PENITENTIARY

July 31, 1920. Captain J. C. Ponsford, Warden. Sir:- I beg to acknowledge herewith a complaint made by one signed S. J. Nesbitt, a taxi driver of Kingston and sent by him to the Minister of Justice on July 23rd, 1920, and forwarded on to you later. I have read with very great care and patience this statement of Mr. Nesbitt's, and, while he has not altogether adhered to the facts in this matter, for your information, I wish to give my statement. During the latter part of June, 1920, and, as Mr. Nesbitt has stated, on a Sunday, I did visit his house at the time given to obtain from him certain information; and my reasons for so doing are as follows:- A highly respected citizen of Kingston gave me certain information that, on a certain Tuesday in June, a half caddie of smoking tobacco had been taken out by one S. J. Nesbitt to the Penitentiary Quarry, and that he, Nesbitt, had taken it out on behalf of a man named Gallagher, who was also a taxi driver, and who had a brother serving a sentence at the Penitentiary. This tobacco had been taken out by Nesbitt according to his confession to my informant, and delivered to the officer there. Nesbitt also had told my informant that, at the time he took this tobacco out, he was going to the Mowatt Hospital, and that Gallagher had asked him to leave it there, as he, Gallagher, was known pretty well and did not wish to get into trouble, and so Nesbitt took it out, and after he had done so felt worried. Being upset, he had to confide in someone, and this someone  was my informant, and he told me he was scared, in view of the investigation then going on at the Penitentiary, that he would lose his license, etc., receiving all this information, I naturally began to listen, but this information was given to me personally and confidentially, and I had at that time to give my word of honour not to divulge the name of the person who gave me the information.

I tried to get relieved of this promise, but at that time I could not.

One evening later my informant told me that he had again seen Nesbitt, and that Nesbitt was terribly worried, and that if I would go at once and visit him he would come through.

Having great confidence in my informant I decided to do this, and, unknown to Warden Ponsford or any person or persons attached to the Penitentiary service here or at any other place, I visited Nesbitt at the place, day and time stated.

I had tried to get Nesbitt early in the day at the taxi stand down town, but was informed he was out driving with his wife. I did not wish to see him in the presence of the taxi drivers, so I went to the house that night, as I felt that if he was worrying, as my informant said he was, then there was no time like the present. 

About 11 p.m. I called at the house. Mr. Nesbitt was in. I told him that my name was Tucker, and that I was onief keeper at the Kingston Penitentiary. I said this so as to be quite open and straightforward with him, and to disclose my identity. He asked me inside, and I went into the front room, and he sat down opposite me; no one else was present. His wife was in the kitchen.

I asked him quite straightforwardly if he had on the Tuesday afternoon previous delivered tobacco for any person or persons at the quarry, and had either left it, or given it to an officer or officers, and he replied "No."

I asked him if he had told anyone he had left any there, and he replied "No". I asked him if he would swear to this and he said "Yes." I told him this was a private affair. I did then, at this stage, say that I had a photo, etc., as I may as well be quite open about it, that I believe Nesbitt is lying, and had I known the calibre of the man I had to deal with, I would have used other tactics, but I relied on the knowledge and word of my informant.

I am now prepared to give a statement under oath from my informant to the effect that Nesbitt told him he had delivered tobacco on this day to the Quarry, not only did he tell him this, but he also told him that I had been there, what I said, and exactly the same as given here.

You will clearly see that this matter has nothing to do with the Penitentiary Authorities; it is, as admitted by Nesbitt, a private affair, and remained so until the disposal of three officers here, when to stir up any old thing they could get their hands upon, or to make a mountain out of a mole hill they would go any length, and I am very sorry tast I was bound down to a promise not to divulge the author at that time, or I would have done it my own way, but I felt so sure, so very positive, that i could get Nesbitt to speak the truth last I took the course I did.

Your obedient servant, (Signed) R. R. Tucker. Chief Keeper

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“Auxiliary Lights Being Installed at Kingston Prison,” Kingston Whig-Standard. October 19, 1932. Page 1. ---- As a result of the riot among the convicts at the Kingston Penitentiary on Monday afternoon, steps have been taken to provide an auxiliary lighting system on the outside to the prison walls and the work has already been undertaken.

Lights are being placed around the four walls and in case of any trouble they can be switched on and used to good advantage especially in the case of a convict making an escape. In such a riot as that which occurred at the prison on Monday, there is great danger of the lighting system being put out of commission. Under ordinary circumstances, there is danger of a break in the system at any time and for this reason the authorities decided to have the new lights Installed. The work is being done by the Public Utilities Commission and was commenced today.