Judge Harold Baker Details Pontiac Prison Conditions
Federal Judge Harold Baker spoke to the Champaign County ACLU about Pontiac State Prison. He described 1,622 inmates in three blocks with 64.5 square feet per cell and nine square feet of standing room, noting half the prisoners have regular work or schooling outside cells and half are idle most days. Baker argued these cruel conditions violate the U.S. Constitution and UN and Illinois standards, and rail against the social costs of confinement. He urged reforms to reduce crime and poverty, stressing civic responsibility.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Robert D. Reid
Harold Baker
Pontiac State Prison
Pontaiac
Pontiac
U.S. District Court
Danville
Pontaic
Baker
Champaign County
American Civil Liberties Union
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S
Democracy and Local Races Define Tuesday Primary
A Los Angeles Times piece contrasts national views with Southern Illinois politics. It argues Southern Illinoisans show strong independence, know local officials, and feel local races shape daily life more than distant governors or presidents. The 1982 primary centers on state legislators sheriffs and boards of supervisors with high stakes for local development and funding.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
California
Illinois
Los Angeles Times
San Diego
San
Thomas Jefferson
County Board of Supervisors
Nuclear thunder on Reagan horizon
James Reston analyzes growing anti nuke movement in the US and Western states. California petitions to place a mutual US Soviet nuclear freeze on ballots while Vermont towns press Congress to back similar steps. Public doubts about Reagan policy spread from churches to town meetings, risking political backlash if not clarified. The piece cautions against rushed freezes that might tilt conventional balance and warns against neglecting public why.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
James Reston
New York Times
Europe
United States
California
Vermont
Congress
Capitol Hill
Massachusetts
Connecticut
New Hampshire
Maine
New York
Ohio
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Oregon
Washington
Reagan
U.S
Lopez Portillo
Mexico
Haig
New England
Soviet Union
Castro
Salvador
Moscow
Brezhnev
Poland
Afghanistan
Central America
Africa
Readers urged to seek full facts on Jackson jail issue
Robert Crim of Carbondale criticizes the Southern Illinoisan for an editorial he calls misleading about the Jackson County courthouse feasibility study and jail site plans. He cites a November 18 1981 study by Fischer Stein Powers and Biagi, state that pages were withheld, and urges voters to access the information and consider a full accounting before deciding on the jail referendum.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Southern Illinoisan
Jackson
Jackson County
Fischer- Stein, Powers
Biagi
Robert Harrell
Public Defender
Probation Office
Bar Association
Citizens For
Carbondale
Murphysboro
Robert Crim
Outlaw Abortion Stance Mixed With Voter Appeal
Editor urges outlaw abortion referencing a Woodland Hills discovery of thousands of aborted fetuses in medical waste. He cites health code concerns, attacks public officials, and endorses pro life candidates and a Human Life Amendment with named races and voting positions.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Richard Wilson
Auschwitz An Buchenwald
Consolidating CCHS Would Improve Education
A letter supporting the consolidation referendum for Carbondale High School Campuses argues it would cut waste from running three campuses and boost education. It cites science department gains from shared equipment, expanded course variety, better scheduling, and reduced commuting time for teachers and students.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Southern Illinoisan
Carbondale
Carbondale High School
Also Mentioned on This Page
Susan Catania
Mentimer
United Nations
State of
Aimee
Southern
D Lee Enterprises Newspaper
John C. Gardner
Woodland Hills
Calif
Khomeini
Herod
Illinois Federation For
Paul Simon
Peter Prineas
George Ryan
Donald Totten
State Senate
Ned Mitchell
Gene Johns
CCHS
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!