We're talking either be looking at him or be writing.
And I'm going to ask you, you know, why did you get in touch with seven on your side? Tell me about the program and then I'll ask you a couple of questions and we'll be done.
The hardest part's over.
That's good to hear.
Okay.
All right.
All right.
All right.
So make sure that when we talk, you look at me.
That's the only thing I ask.
All right.
Rich.
And I wrote action seven and I got good results.
And again, this time I wrote action seven and received results.
What's your problem here? There's no real problem here.
We just have a volunteer fireman and they'd like to answer letters for Santa Claus this year and I thought action seven would give us some coverage on that.
All right.
All right.
It's seven on your side.
Remember that.
Okay.
Rich, why did you write seven on your side? What was the problem? Well, the men here at the institution wanted to write letters to little children and guards of what they're wanting for Christmas from Santa Claus.
And in the past years, I've had results from action seven on your side and I thought you would give me coverage again this year.
Now what is it that you do specifically motivates you to do this? Why do you do this? Well, I started this when I was at the institution in 75 and again this year I've asked the volunteer firemen and we have 20 men to do it.
But why do you do it? I must...
Who are involved in the program get the same feeling? Well, you can ask these two here but everyone, the 20 men I've talked to, they say they do.
Now you have 20 men on the volunteer fire department but I understand that lots of other people volunteer.
How many people volunteer to do this in here? Our count here at the institution is right around 15, 80.
I'd say about 8 % maybe of the institution.
So that's about 120 people volunteer? Right, they volunteer.
Now we don't accept all volunteers.
We have a lot of guys that like to use it for a personal thing to get people's addresses to write for NASPR money and sell it, which we don't want no money.
We enjoy the letters.
We do answer the children and we don't promise the children exactly everything but we try to answer them as if we were Santa.
Now how should little kids write to Santa Claus here? What should the address be? All they have to do is write Santa Claus, post office box 41 -4659, Michigan City, Indiana, 46360.
And Santa will receive the letter? Yes, Santa's helpers will receive them and we will get on them right away and answer each one personally.
Every child who writes you will receive a letter in return? Yes, they will.
Now should they send stamped self -addressed envelopes as well? They don't have to but we're asking this because in past years the postage is so high on something like this.
When you get a letter without a stamp, who pays for it? This comes out of the inmates own account.
We don't have no account from the institution or any money from the fire department.
So in addition to the stamped self -adjusted envelopes, it might also help you if they sent you postage stamps too? If they could afford it but it's not necessary.
Okay.
Anything else you think needs to be added? Well, let me ask you one more question.
Okay.
Does any of this volunteer work, I know you all do this in your spare time, does any of this volunteer work affect your parole status or your clemency status? No.
Myself, I'm under the new law, penal code in the state of Indiana and I'm doing flat time so I'd have to do half my time matter if I do this or I sit in my seat and watch TV and I get a lot of enjoyment watching TV but yet this no enjoyment as reading some of these letters as you have done yourself.
And I, there's no way.
Your reason and the reason that the men get involved in this for doing this is simply because it's the right thing to do and you're going to brighten up some child's Christmas.
Well at the same time it's brightening ours too because we don't have a Christmas tree or can't exchange gifts or anything.
The only thing we can do is exchange a Christmas card or shake each other's hands.
But this here is our Christmas.
Okay.
Anything else you want to add? No, I would just like to thank the institution for preventing this and in past years the mail room, the ladies up there worked with us and I'm sure they will this year.
Mr.
Ed Jones, the director of classification is working with us and I actually, actually on your side, I really appreciate their coming in and giving us help.
Okay, thanks.
That's it Frank.
Go ahead.
You can just tell me this whole story all over again.
About how contacting you and everything? Well I wrote for you and asked for coverage, news media, you know, because we want to get all of it.
How should a little kid who wants to hear from Santa Claus get a letter back? Who should he write to? Write Dear Santa, Post Office Box 41, Michigan City, Indiana.
Why do you guys do this? It brings a lot of joy and happiness to the inmate as well as the little children on the street.
How many people in this institution totally volunteer to write letters as Santa's helpers? I'd say 128 % of the population.
Okay.
Now will every letter be personally answered and screened and? Yes, yes it will be.
Every letter is handwritten back and nothing is exactly promised but Santa will try and get the toys and clothing to him.
How do you feel about doing this? How does it make you feel? It makes me feel really nice.
It feels warm inside and really nice.
Do you or any of the other prisoners get any special consideration for this? Do you get parole or clemency earlier? Well that would be nice but no.
Most of the men on the fire department are lifers and the others are doing flat time.
Okay, this is a manual Christmas story.
Okay, fair enough.
Okay, could you give me your full name and spell your full name and your title? Jack Raymond Duckworth.
That sounds like a legal question.
It's a last name is spelled D -U -C -K -W -O -R -T -H.
And you are the? Warden.
Not superintendent? No, warden.
Warden, why do you think of this program where the inmates get together and in fact become Santa's helpers? Well I see it as a constructive endeavor on their part.
I think it's a way they have of being a contributing member of society.
And I think when we recognize how we feel personally about it, we are all a child at heart.
And I think we like to play the part sometime and help kids.
How do you feel about it? What service does it do for the inmates? How do they feel when they talk to you about the program? Well I think they recognize the need to do something, to be helpful to somebody.
And in one sense of the word I guess they feel they're paying their debt to society in a small way by helping someone else, someone that otherwise would possibly not be assisted in some way.
What kind, no let me rephrase that.
Do these guys get any kind of special consideration in terms of parole or clemency or special favors at all? No, this is not even a part that is considered at all.
And frankly I'm glad that the men do not participate for any kind of remuneration or recognition.
They do it on their own.
They do it because they want to.
It's a personal motivation.
And I think it's an admirable motivation.
So they do it really as a selfless gesture? Oh yes, oh yes.
Is there anything else you want to add? Oh I just feel that it's an excellent opportunity for inmates as well as kids to recognize the worth in one another.
And frankly I'm glad that our men here recognize the need and we're willing to be a contributing member of our society today, especially at Christmas time.
Thank you.
That's it Frank.
