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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 22, 1988)
Inmates show gang youths prison life By Anne Mohri Senior Reporter Bryan Woods, a 17-year-old sophomore from Omaha Burke High School, is a member of a gang called the Crips. Bryan’s 15-year-old brother is on trial for allegedly shooting a man in the back. Donald Woods, the oldest of the three Woods brothers, is serving 17 months at the Nebraska State Penitentiary for violating his parole. Bryan and his 15-year-old brother were two of about 10 members of the Crips who were taken to the Nebraska State Peniten tiary by Robert Armstrong, director of the Omaha Housing Authority. Gang members went to the penitentiary voluntarily to discuss their lives and futures with inmates involved in the Seven Step Foundation. The Seven Step Foundation, staffed and organized by inmates, is designed to reduce the number of repeat criminal offenders, said Hezekiah “Sonny” Pittman, an inmate and chapter center coordinator of the Seven Step Foundation. The Seven Step Foundation was started in 1969 by Bill Sands, an inmate at a Cana dian prison. Pittman said the Onesimus chapter of the foundation was organized by Nebraska State Penitentiary inmates about 20 years ago to show kids “this is no place they want to be, and we don’t want them here.” Harold Wilson, serving up to 170 years without parole for kidnapping, said the meetings are designed to show the kids what prison is really like and what life as a gang member can lead to. All of the gang members visiting the penitentiary were from north Omaha and were between the ages of 14 and 17. About 10 inmates and gang members began the three-hour discussion Saturday afternoon in a large group and later broke into smaller groups. Bryan Woods and his brother did most of the talking. Bryan said he’s walking a line between the penitentiary and the outside world. “I’m on that line,” Bryan said. “I can turn and end up here, or I can turn and stay out there and learn more.” “I came down here to find out some things, to get some influence,” Bryan said. “I fear this place,” he said. However, he said, he will end up in the penitentiary atone time or another. Bryan said he would like to graduate from high school and go to college to play football. He said if he cannot have a career in football he would like to have one in child psychology. Bryan said the Crips have a “live and let live” attitude and do not believe in hurting people for any reason. “We live to survive; that’s all we can do,” he said. Michael Sturgeon, an inmate and a for mer member of the Crips in Los Angeles, disagreed. “Crips are about violence — a fast road to getting what you want out of life. What you guys are saying is bullshit,” Sturgeon said. Pittman said he had been a gang member as a kid. “I paid my dues, made my moves. I done it, I made it to the top, and at the top there’s no way but down.” Sturgeon told a similar story. “When people get tired of you being on top, they re coming to get you, he said. Jasper Falkner, an inmate, is coordinator of another foundation program called Proj ect Youth. “Life on the streets is a one-way ticket to the pen and we want to roadblock that,” Falkner said. Falkner said the biggest problem for Omaha youth is the Los Angeles cocaine dealers who sell drugs in Omaha. He said the kids receive money, drugs and clothes to deal drugs, and they possibly kill for these dealers. He said a man by the name of House is thought to be the supplier for the Crips. But Bryan and other gang members who visited the prison claimed they had not heard of House and were not working for anyone. Bryan said he became a member of the Crips when he was on vacation in Los Angeles a few years ago. He said there were two gangs in Los Angeles, the Crips and the Bloods. The Crips and the Bloods are the two major gangs in Omaha now, he said. “We (the Crips) arc on top in Omaha, the best of all gangs in Omaha,” Bryan said. Motorcycle helmet law signed By William Lauer S’ tff Reporter Gov. Kay Orr opened her Friday press conference at the State Capitol by signing the motorcycle helmet law. LB428 requiresall motorcycle and moped riders to wear helmets. It will go into effect Jan. 1, 1989. Sen. Dan Lynch of Omaha, spon sor of LB428, stood next to the gover nor as she signed the bill. “Is it possible to hug her?” he asked. “1 guess I’ll just shake her hand.” Orr hugged Lynch after she signed the bill. Lynch’s son-in-law was killed in a motorcycle accident. He was not wearing a helmet. Orr said driving is a privilege, not a fundamental right. Government regulates drivers with speed limits and other laws, she said. “This shows that government is acting in a responsible way,” she said. Orr also restated her stance against pickle-card abuse in the state. She said Nebraska has the fewest regulations for pickle-card sales of any state. Orr said comparing pickle cards lo pari-mutuel belling is unfair. “Pari-mutuel betting is a highly regulated industry,” she said. Money from pari-mutuel betting is used to support county fairs and pro vide scholarships, and about SI2 million has gone to charities, she said. Pari-mutuel betting also has an economic impact on local service industries, she said. Orr said that if the Legislature passes LB931, a bill taking away the property-tax-exempt status of race tracks, pari-mutuel betting might end in the slate. Courts determining constitutionality POLL from Page 1 i pear,” he said. “Ten years ago 1 was able lo travel a half mile in any direc tion to sec a neighbor. Now I have to travel over a mile to the nearest neigh bors.” Mary Grell, a senior accounting major, said, “The family farm repre sents the best that this country has to offer—entrepreneurship, hard work, strong values and a true love of the land.” Dan Rayburn, a senior agriculture economics major, said Initiative 300 helps farmers buy land at a lower price and reduce competition. Rayburn said he thinks Initiative 3(X) should not be amended. “The people of this state have al ready spoken with their votes,” he said. Many students who are not from a farming background also support Ini tiative 300. “Initiative 300 works,” said John Liebig, a junior pre-med student. “It successfully prevents large corpora tions from buying large amounts of land. Let the farmer farm, and let the corporation manufacture the prod ucts.” But not everyone supports Initia f/- — live 300. Sen. John L. Weihing of Gering said Initiative 300 is restrictive. “It restricts not only the people we don’t want, but us loo,” he said. Baack agreed. He said Initiative 300 hurts rural economic develop ment. “Preventing corporations from buying farm land is OK, but we went too far,” Baack said. “We hurt the farmers who want to incorporate with their neighbors. We should have only excluded outside corporations. What we have now makes no sense whatso ever.” Some students also had negative views about Initiative 300. The poll showed 31 percent of students from farm families opposed the bill. “I am against Initiative 300 be cause it prevents a much-needed in flow' of money into the state’s agricul ture economy,” said William H. Rhea, a freshman agriculture eco nomics major. Rob Anderson, a freshman agri business major, said he didn’t think Initiative 300 has done exactly what the voters thought it would. “Instead of saving the family farm, it has scared off business that would be beneficial to the state,” he said. Dale Burbach, a junior animal science major, said fewer restrictions should be placed on agriculture. “Farming is a business, and it should be treated as such,” Burbach said. The biggest percentage — 69 per cent — of those opposed were not from family farms. “I feel that this is just another silly attempt to give the farmer some false security and push off real solutions which should come about,” said Dave Sanders, a junior business major. Others said they think the iaw should be changed. Kevin Clark, a junior English major, said, “I think that when a sys tem no longer serves the function that it was intended to do, it should be changed,” Although many students have strong views on Initiative 300, 37 of those polled were undecided. Mike Barret, a senior agriculture journalism major, said, “Initiative 300 is a prime example of the fact that not everything is black and white — there are some gray areas. “Analyzing and altering legisla tion is an ongoing process, especially when ildcals with today’sagriculture industry.” Flexibility is important! Exercise your mind, exercise your options with flexible scheduling from the UNL Division of Continuing Studies I -Choose from over 70 college courses -Take courses at the pace you set -Arrange your schedule as you want it -Study^at times and places convenient to you To register or for information, call 472-1926, or visit room 269 in the Nebraska Center for Continuing Education, 33rd and Holdrege on east campus. Flexibility when you need it: UNL Independent Study UNL ia a noodiacriminalorv institution M m The University of Ne. | Health Center presents EXPECTATIONS OF SEXUALITY i ; AND DATING i There are choices, but what are they? Par ticipate in a panel discussion with students and professionals. Discussion will include areas dealing with control in a relationship, the setting of boundaries, decision making, acquaintance rape and health-related issues. , Tuesday, February 23, at 7:30 Nebraska Union, 14th & R Streets Guest speakers: * Marcee Metzger-inoderator Mary Lou Golon, R.N., B.S. Vaughn Robertson, Jr., M.A. Ben Roe, D.MIN, I.H.S. Pizza Doubles Order Two specially made 13 inch pizzas with a single topping of your choice for only $9.99. | Want more than one topping? Easy, $1.50 per extra topping covers both pizzas. | No coupon necessary. Just tell us you want I the... I Pizza Double Special Godfather's 3 Lincoln Locations North Downtown South 48th & Vine 12th & Q St. 48th & Hwy. 2 466-8264 474-6000 483-4129 Expires 2-28-88. Offer not valid with any other offers, coupons or refillablcs. L J
