rrisoners lobby. • • criticizes Clements for pardon vetoes. ()MIAs -wrws NOV 2 '80 AUSTIN (AP) — Gov. Bill Clements' staff says he vetoes more paroles than previous governors because the Board of Pardons and Paroles has got- ten softer while convicts have become meaner. "Too many dangerous risks to society are being recommended to the governor," said David Dean, director of the governor's clemency office and criminal justice division. A prisoners' lobby and some legislators disa- gree, however, and would like to see the legislature abolish the governor's power to deny paroles. "The two biggest arguments for getting the governor out of the process are to end duplication , of effort and not have a parole policy that is deter- mined by the politics of the governor," said Charles Sullivan of Citizens United for Rehabilita- tion of Errants. CLEMENT'S WANTS to keep his power and has recommended a bill that would let him appoint the board's chairman and vice chairman, who now are chosen by the board. Clements also said the board should control halfway houses for parolees and re- quire restitution as a condition of parole. Clements vetoed 28 percent of the paroles rec- ommended to him in fiscal 1980 — leavi: in prison 2,241 convicts the board said coul., safely re- turn to society. Sullivan said prisoners would not be sleeping Ion the floor if it were not for Clements' parole de- nials. Gov. Dolph Briscoe, also a hard-liner concern- ing "law and order," never rejected more than 13 percent of paroles in a fiscal year. Gov. Preston Smith turned down less than 1 percent and in ope year vetoed only one parole out of 2,385 recall- mended to him. A report prepared in Dean's office shows 29 percent of the persons sent to prison in 1979 had committed violent crimes, compared with 26 per- cent in 1976, 19 percent in 1966 and 18 percent in 1956. , Meanwhile, 81 percent of the Texans convicted Of felonies last year received probation. Half the persons actually sent to prison in 1979 hi,' -violated parole or probation conditions, the report says. "This indicates that a convicted felon no.: has to earn his way into TDC (Texas Department .of Corrections) as a violent offender or as a high risk to society or as one who has demonstrated that he nnot live by the terms of probation or parole. Yet in spite of this . . . it is now easier to get out of TDC because of the high number of parole recommen- dations by the Board of Pardons and Paroles," the report says. SULLIVAN DISAGREES. "The average prisoner is less violent than several years ago," he said. In fiscal 1979, the board recommended 49 per- cent of the eligible inmates for parole. In fiscal '1980, the rate dropped to 40 percent. ,'We feel the parole recommendions we sent over there (to Clements) werc good risks," board chairwoman Connie Jackson said. What elements influence Clements — or, more accurately, Dean and the four lawyers who review cases — to deny paroles recommended by the board? The report says that in 59 percent of the deni- als, the inmate had at lea'. )ne prior conviction, and in 45 percent a violent crime was involved. Sullivan said he believes Dean's staff overlooks the value of parole in rehabilitation an applies ar- bitrary guidelines. • "They are coming out of their Republican, con- servative culture. They are not having face-to-face contact with the inmates," he said. In one case, he said, Clements vetoed a parole in which the board had imposed a requirement of psychiatric treatment. The inmate finished his sen- tence without getting any psychiatric het*. Sulli- van said. But Dean said: "Each case is rev. .;ed on its own merit: - it is weighed on its totality." panels drawn from the three board members and six parole commissioners. The.rnor, chief jus- tice of the Texas Supreme and presiding judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals each ap- points a board member and two commissioners. The Austin-based board members, who make the rules for the parole system, and the commis- sioners, who are based near the prisons, don't al- ways get along. Excer for Clements appointee Glen Heckmann, the commissioners voted more of- ten for parole in fiscal 1980 than did the board members. Statistically, inmates of TDC's southern units have a poorer chance of parole than those farther north because a majority of their panel consists of Heckmann, with a 25 percent approval rate, and board member George Killinger, 27 percent. Board members Jackson, Killinger and Ruben Torres have endorsed Clements' bill to make com- missioners employees of the board instead of inde- pendent state officials. Sullivan and Commissioner Paul Mansmann said Clements is out to get commissioners wih high parole approval rates, such as Mansmann's 61 per- cent, but Dean said the governor just wants better management. Tem..14,- „congressional bajjjhazdfught Assooatod Press DALLAS (AP) — Big bucks, fast talk and some old fashioned mud-slinging highlight hard-fought races for Con- gress in a state where the push for a seat on the Hill has been overshad- owed by the bitter battle for the White House. Four of Texas' 24 incumbent con- gressmen are running unopposed, 10 are considered shoo-ins against token oppositon, three others should keep their seats and two are retiring volun- tarily. But four are locked in no-holds-bar- red struggles for re-election and the stakes are high. Consider the case of U.S. Rep. Jim Wright, the house majority leader, heir apparent to the Speaker's chair and the last of a vanishing breed — Con- gressional leaders from Texas. Ever since Wright ambushed Win- gate Lucas 26 years ago, he has crushed every challenger in sight — sometimes by polling as much as 98 percent of th:. vote. Upstart But now, at the zenith of his career, he. must wage a fierce battle to guard his seat against a Republican upstart. Jim Bradshaw, 40, a five-year Fort Worth councilman, believes he's a gi- ant killer. "I really think Wright is frustrated by me. He's a powerful man. He rides around in limousines. He's been re- elected for 26 years by landslides. And here he's got to come back to Fort Worth and work ... against — who — little 01' me," said Bradshaw. He is allied with national conserva- tive groups and the Republican na- tional strike -force, which includes Wright in a list of prominent Demo- crats targeted for defeat. Bradshaw has attacked Wright as too liberal and claims he has drawn to within 2 percentage points of Wright — a suggestion that Wright dismisses as wishful thinking. Wright, meanwhile, has pointed to his clout in Washington and its benefits for the district. His supporters paint Ins opposition as extremist rather than conservative and he argues that if he had not won the leadership post it would be in the hands of a liberal. Incumbent Mud-slinging has become politics- as-usual in the 5th District fight be- tween two-term incumbent Jim Mat- tox of Dallas and Republican chal- lenger Tom Pauken of Mesquite. Mattox won narrowly over Pauken in 1978 and the two have picked up where they left off in a contest too ; close tc call and one that may be the ; most bitter in Texas. Mattox claims Pauken "hasn't been honest with the people," about his rea- sons for leaving a position in the Nixon White House. And Mattox says the in- cident shows "Pauken doesn't have the stature or the strength to stand up un- der the pressures" of Congressional committee requirements. Two Houston-area incumbents, Democrat Bob Eckhardt and Republi- can Ron Paul, face stiff challenges in their districts. Eckhardt, 67, a 14-year veteran, esti- mates he has spent $600,000 in his bid to protect his congressional seat against conservative Republican Jack Fields, 28. President Carter chides,)(some students NOV 2 '80 y not, and they said hk reading the Third Corn .Ckments for breaking "When Ou get home, getyour Bible. turn to Exodus 20, and read the Third Third Commandment / .vho called Carter -a goddamn liar," should read the Third Command- ment. Clements made the referenceto Carter' earlier in the week while criticizing the president's claims about the strength of the.natiOn's military forces. lir an airport rally, Carter Said to a crowd estimated at between 4,000 and 5,000. "A lot of good people have come out today, but I notice that yeti!' distinguishe4 governor Was not here bitsee me. I asked 3 mightnci be ho na Commandment — not only the Third Commandment, but the warning that goes Mg STON 014R r"!! rs L E____Isigv , withit,_ _" Carter said. .-- -- ABILENE (UPI) — President CAI. ( The Thiff-Commaid- lit in the King saturcipv Faid Texas Gov. William P. Cle- ible says, "Thou ame of the Lord thy the Lord will not hold t taketh his name in James Version of th shall not take th God in vain; fo him guiltless th vain." 3,3