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Ann Arbor Man's Advice Asked By Executive Office

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Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
November
Year
1939
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
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Ann Arbor Man's Advice Asked By
Executive Office Agrees Corrections Board Should Act To Curb Escape Epidemic
By William F. Pyper
(News Lansing Bureau) LANSING-How to minimize escapes in Michigan's penal institutions was a problem the executive office today posed for the State Corrections Commission.
Goaded by a series of attempted breaks in recent weeks at Marquette branch prison, Ionia state reformatory and State Prison of Southern Michigan where an inspector of guards lost his life last Sunday, Gov. Dickinson called in George J. Burke of Ann Arbor, Democratic member of the commission.
Leslie P. Kefgen of Bay City, Republican member, is to visit the governor later in the week. Some of the other members of the commission have previously been given the gubernatorial attitude.
Burke Wednesday afternoon talked to Gov. Dickinson briefly and with Emerson R. B025 Tegal adviser, and Leslie B. Butter, executive secretary at length. Butler said they were discussing what war wing and how the situation could be improved.
"We talked about the possibility of getting an efficiency expert who could make the rounds of the prisons in a search for opportunities the prisoners might grasp to escape," Butler said. “Another idea is to have an electric eye to detect metal for knives and guns smuggled in from the shops or meat store room.
Burke Favors Study "Mr. Burke, whom we regard as a very high type member of that commission, agreed with us that a complete study should be made and that something should be done by the commission to put a stop to this epidemic of escapes. We were able to talk with him without politics entering the picture."
It is likely commission members will consider the subject when they have their next session, probably the first of the week. Butler said no matter of prison administration personnel was discussed, except that guards should be trained not to be careless and that they should be able to distinguish other guards from disguised inmates.
Because the recent break at Marquette was used in the campaign to oust Warden Marvin L. Coon, political angles were quickly injected into the consideration of the plot at State Prison of Southern Michigan. The governor himself suggested that it might have been arranged by friends of Coon who wished to detract attention from the Upper Peninsula institution,
When there was indication Democratic members of the corrections commission might have taken offense at his suggestion, he issued a statement explaining he meant nothing of the kind.