The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 3

Bloomington-Normal, III. Sept. 15, 1979 boo a 4 Prison sex scandal: Questions remain Pantagraph A-3 en 3 1L1 the allegations that first surfaced Sept. 5 in the warden's office. Klosteroff on Wednesday was notified by letter that he has until Tuesday to take a test, administered by the private Chicago firm of John Reid Associates, or face suspension by Department of Corrections.

Klosteroff, a 21-year veteran of DOC, has worked at Dwight four years. Suspended Denying reports that he also has refused Tuesday's test, Ms. Sutliff-Nesbitt said, "To my knowledge, he hasn't refused. He is scheduled to take one Tuesday." She doesn't know, she said, whether the test is to be administered by the Chicago firm or by IBI. Weakley last week was placed on suspension, pending discharge, for refusing to take a polygraph test.

The three inmates charging sexual harassment by the two officers have taken and passed polygraph tests, the warden said. She refused to discuss rumors that Ms. Columbo, serving 200 to 300 years for murdering her parents and brother, had, while working as Klosteroff secretary, also acted as his procuress. She said she did not know of any special privileges Ms. Columbo enjoyed at the prison.

The rumor that Ms. Columbo and Klosteroff regularly took dinner together in his cottage on the grounds, she said, was misleading. "When he was working in his office, which is in his cottage," she said, it was By Harriet Hahn cannot say I know everything that goes on in this institution." Charlotte Sutliff-Nesbitt, warden of Dwight Correctional Center, said during a Friday afternoon press conference at the women's prison. The question was: "Do you know that sexual harassment of inmates by officers has occurred here?" The conference had been called to answer questions about allegations by three inmates that chief investigative officer Dennis Klosteroff, 49, and security chief Maj. Denver Weakley, 47, had forced some of the prison's 300 inmates to perform sexual acts and that Klosteroff had used inmate Patricia Columbo, 23, as a procuress of inmates for sex 'parties at the prison.

But the conference yielded no new information on the case first reported Tuesday. Warden Sutliff-Nesbitt reiterated that inmate complaints of sexual harassment by Klosteroff were brought to her on "my arrival here two years ago." After a 10-month investigation of those complaints, she said, Klosteroff took and passed a polygraph test administered by Illinois Bureau of Investigation officials. He then was considered cleared of charges of wrongdoing, she said, although she did. at that time, order his job as chief investigative officerassignment officer divided into separate assignments. She ordered the separation of functions, she said, because "I thought one person working here shouldn't do both jobs." Klosteroff continued in the pared posi She refused to say that Ms.

Columbo was Klosteroff's secretary. She refused to say what work Ms. Columbo does at Dwight or whether she was on the grounds Friday. No personnel changes, including the replacing of male guards with female guards, rumored imminent, is planned, she said. "I am always, always striving to make changes to make things better.

But in this, we are trying to carry on as usual. I think a person should have a fair day in court. As warden, my responsibility is to report and request an investigation, if one seems called for." 'Going to wait' That done, she said, "I personally am going to wait for the results" of the investigation being done by DOC. A different story about sexual harassment of inmates by officers was heard in a cottage on the 160-acre prison grounds. The cottage appeared to have painted very recently and the odor of paint and turpentine was strong.

It was one of two cottages news people on the tour were permitted to enter. Two inmates, the housekeeper and a young woman waiting for a guard to accompany her to a class, talked with this reporter after she was accidentally locked with them in the cottage. "I ve been here since December 1977," the young woman said. From the first week, I heard Klosteroff was making girls do sex with him." She said she was told she didn need to worry about him because "I black. He only wants the white girls." The housekeeper said she, too, had because "you see I'm black.

And I'm 53." She said she had been threatened by Klosteroff because of her complaints about paying $4 80 for cartons of cigarettes in the prison commissary. "He said he'd get me more time. He said if I didn't keep quiet, I'd never get out when I'm supposed to in '83. A guard, arriving to take the young inmate to class, unlocked the cottage door. Outside the cottage, another inmate, also black, said that Ms.

Columbo was assigned to her cottage, but that, until Klosteroff's leave, hadn't spent much time there. "Now she's back, sleeping there." The inmate said Ms. Columbo seemed to have unlimited phone privileges and seemed able to leave the prison grounds frequently. She said that when she first heard rumors of Ms. Columbo's function as procuress, "I went up and asked her.

She said no, she wasn't. She seemed real upset and she went and made a phone call." Other black inmates also seemed eager to talk. Each said she had heard rumors of wrongdoing by Klosteroff and Weakley. Each said she hadn't been involved because of her race. None said she had seen sexual acts performed by inmates for officers.

None of the white inmates approached would comment on the situation at Dwight. Klosteroff, reportedly of Pontiac, and Weakley, reportedly of Flanagan, have neither listed nor unlisted telephone numbers at those places. warden Sutliff-Nesbitt, contacted by phone Friday night, said, "Both men still are staff members and our policy is Weekdays, inmates' rooms are locked while inmates attend classes or paid jobs. Workers in the prison industries building Friday sewed shirts for use at Stateville Correctional Center. jf routine for the evening meal to be brought in from the prison kitchen.

It was she for his tion until Monday, when he was placed on administrative leave without pay for refusing to take a polygraph test about refusing to take a polygraph test about "uj luuiiuc, iuu, ai ic saiu, lUi ins 3 secretary to receive her dinner there not been forced to perform sexual favors routine, too, said, secretary to receive her dinner there. not been forced to perform sexual favors i jt -'w A f1 -is: Ml If I iL; (: Vi, Routine SPRINGFIELD (UPI (-Suburban Republican legislators said Friday disenchantment with Illinois' new road program may convince them to join a Democratic drive to override a veto of a bill to scrap the sales tax on food and drugs. Gov. James R. Thompson says the state cannot afford an override of his veto, which is expected in mid-October.

Thompson's budget chief, Robert Man-deville, has charged Democrats backing mi $jj I1 fr If "wjrw- i-Vi rntrsnrle riiirtrrlc UeieriUS yUUlUb GOP heard rumors about Klosteroff but had Charlotte Sutliff-Nesbitt, warden of Dwight Correctional Center, led a tour of the women's prison facilities after a Friday afternoon press conference. -She agreed the charges that two top prison Warden leads tour The use of male guards, such as Capt. William Doherty, above, in a women's priSOn was defended Friday by arden Sutliff-Nesbitt. "There is, however, a certain demeanor that must be kept." not to give out numbers or addresses of staff members." officials sexually harassed inmates could result in loss of her position. "Historically," she said, "the longevity of a warden isn't real long." (Pantagraph photos by Jed DeKalb) The controversy over the override has spurred a number of charges and counter charges between Mandeville and Democratic Comptroller Roland Burris.

The latest charge came from the Republican camp Friday when Mandeville issued a release charging Democratic figures for projected revenue growth over the five-year phase-out period of the sales tax are inflated by nearly $5 billion. Democrats said the state's coffers will bulge with about $7.8 billion in new revenues over the next five years while Mandeville claims revenues will grow by only a little more than $2.5 billion. peated earlier statements that he believes the nation is in a recession. He said it started in the second quarter of this year, when the nation's gross national product declined at an annual rate of 2.4 percent. But he said he thinks the recession will be mild, and will last only a few more months.

"I believe we are half-way through it," he said. Because the recession is expected to be mild. Miller said he opposes a tax reduction to help bring it to a quick end. "I do not see conditions now to justify departing from our commitment for a fiscal austerity," he said. "At the moment, it would be inappropriate to consider a tax cut." Miller also all but ruled out the possibility that Carter can achieve his goal of submitting a realistic balanced budget for fiscal 1981.

may join fight against food tax veto but haven't completely made up their minds. In the House, support for the override is mounting. Republican Reps. Herbert Huskey of Oak Lawn and Jack Davis of Beecher have announced support for an override and a number of others have said they are carefully considering a positive override vote because they feel their constituents sincerely want some form of tax relief. And although most Republicans said they would rather have been able to vote for property tax relief, they may support the sales tax cut as the only viable alternative.

rise predicted (Bymm sunlit Attorney seeks $13,000 from defendants in litigation Many suburban Republican legislators who voted against the bill last spring are now having second thoughts about their opposition. Many of them cite the increased sales tax in the six-county Regional Transportation Authority area as a reason for their change of heart. Others cite sheer spite. Downstate and Chicago lawmakers teamed up to defeat suburban objections to the transportation plan, which imposes an extra 1-cent sales tax in Cook County and an additional 25-cent sales tax in Kane, DuPage, Will, Lake and McHenry counties. Rumors flew around the Capitol rotunda when the transportation package was passed that Democrats had agreed to discourage an override of the sales tax bill in exchange for Thompson's support of the road program.

Some say a deal may the only way the override could be blocked. Sen. James "Pate" Philip, RElmhurst, said he probably will not support the override because he said such a move will be fiscally irresponsible. But Philip predicted a successful override if no deal was made. "I hear he didn't make a deal," Philip said.

"But if he didn't make a deal he was stupid. Let's face it that's the way the game works." Deal or no deal, the override movement is picking up steam with bipartisan support. "I'm going to vote for it. The only way it can be defeated is with an absolute (Democratic) partisan vote," said Rep. Calvin Skinner, R-Woodstock.

"As a partisan issue it's a good campaign issue but it won't bring tax relief." Skinner said he has agreed to fly around the state with Daley and other the drive with advocating deficit spending. The sales tax exemption measure is a controversial Democratic bill that would completely phase out the sales tax on food and drugs by 1983. Democrats, led by Sen. Richard Daley, D-Chicago, are mounting a massive Sales Tax Override Proposition (STOP) movement to gain support for the measure (H2564) during the Legislature's fall session. to participate in coeducational physical education classes against their wishes.

The suit alleged that wearing physical education clothing in mixed groups violated religious principles against "immodest" dress. Paul won his case when U.S. District Judge J. Waldo Ackerman ruled in August that forcing students to attend the classes would violate their constitutional rights. Paul said Friday that the fees were sought from all the defendants.

The motion seeks attorneys fees already earned and fees which may be earned in further litigation of the suit, he said. Further litigation would include hearings on the setting of attorney fees, Paul said. STOP people to gain bilateral support for the legislation. Skinner said the main battle for the override will be in the House. He and others agree the Senate will most pass the override easily if it clears the House.

Republican Senators Robert Mitchler of Oswego and Mark Rhoads of Western Springs have already announced their support for an override. Others, including David Regner, Mount Prospect. John Nimrod, Glenview, and Jack Schaffer, Crystal Lake all said they are leaning toward a positive vote on the override Jobless WASHINGTON (AP)-Treasury Secretary G. William Miller said Friday he thinks the current recession is half over, but predicted that unemployment will rise above 7 percent next year, higher than the Carter administration had forecast previously. The likelihood that unemployment will keep rising was underlined in a report that showed the nation's industrial output plummeted 1.1 percent in August, the first decline since April.

Production declined in most industries during the month, including household goods and autos, where output was down 15 percent to an annual rate of 7.5 million vehicles. Declining production leads to job layoffs. Unemployment stood at 6 percent of the labor force in August, and the administration previously had said it would rise no higher than 6.9 percent by the end of next year. While the difference between 6.9 percent and 7 percent isn't great about 100,000 jobs Miller's testimate shows the administration has started to retreat from its more optimistic projection. He said he didn't know how much above 7 percent the jobless rate would go.

A 7 percent jobless rate means about 7 million people would be out of work. An unofficial internal administration forecast says unemployment could reach 8.2 percent in 1980, which would mean more than 8 million people would be out of work. The peak unemployment rate during the last recession in 1974-1975, which was the worst downturn since the depression, was 9 percent. In separate remarks to reporters and to a group of businessmen, Miller re A Bioomington attorney has filed a request for more than $13,000 in legal fees in connection with a suit he won charging Twin City students shouldn't be forced to participate against their will in coeducational physical education classes. William Paul asked for $13,572, plus unspecified additional fees, according to documents filed this week in U.S.

District Court in Springfield. Paul was the attorney for Wesley Ates, pastor of First Pentecostal Church, and William Moody, a church leader. The suit was filed against District 87, Unit 5, the Regional Oftice of Education and the Illinois Office of Education, and charged that students' constitutional rights were violated if they were made.