Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-12
BY JERRY OLEARY, Jr.
Star Staff Writer

tower at the entrance to the
Lorton Youth Center where the
District sends young convicts
between the ages of 10 and %
and tries hard to make sure
they profit by the experience.
Approaching the center. in
Fairfax County, Va, assuming
you are expected. the guards
use an electronic device to open
the gates.
The 2-year-old institution
somehow does not look like a
prison even though earlier this
month there were two riots in
volving the Black Muslin sect.
1t really resembles a campus
except for the six guard towers
and a double fence.
Today there is no sign Of
how the prisoners got out of
hand in an orgy Of destruction.
The glass that was shattered
in dormitory windows by the
young rioters has been cleaned
up. The violent ones, who had
to be restrained with handouts
when the recent riots erupted,
are no longer there. They are in
District Jail while District and
Federal authorities decide what
to do with them.
The major puzzle is why the
riots happened.
This reporter sat in on a dis
cussion yesterday with Center
Superintendent Joseph H. Ha-
vener; Guard Capt. Robert A.
Boyd; William c. Hedrick, who
is a teacher for the younger
convicts; John A. Johnson, su-
perviSor of Vocational Educa-
tions, and Lorton employe Nor
vel Lee, who won fame as a
heavyweight boxer in the Gold
en- Gloves here in recent years.
TrOuble-makers Active
There seems to be no ques-
ton that the riots were melted
by prisoners who are known
to officials as trouble-makers.
One Of them had been at Lor-
ton only for week when the
trouble developed.
The crux of the problem
hinges on the Black Muslin
sect, a group Of Negroes who
call one another brother" and
consider themselves to be fol-
lowers Of Mohammed.
The jail officials, who were
ordered. as a result of a Dis
trict Court decision, to treat
the Muslims as a bona fide
religious group and conscien-
tiously permitted them to hold
services, consider that only a
handful Of them are genuine
members Of the sect.
EVV MOI InVOlVe0
Mr.. Havener said there were
30l prisoners in the Youth Gen.
ter when the trouble started. At
least 200 Of the prisoners took
no part whatever in the vio-
lence.
Some Of them had tears In
their eyes because Of what
happened here" MIR. Havener
said.
"A number Of them stayed in
their rooms throughout the
disturbance so as not to be in
volved," the superintendent
said.
The officials said they be-
lieve there were Is serious
ring-leaders in the disturbance.
But only those who were iden-
titled by at least two Lorton
employees were taken out of the
36-acre institution and sent to
District Jail for punishment.
The MuslimS are allowed to
meet twice a week in a room
more suitable for discussion
than for religious services.
Once a week they are allowed
to receive their minister, Lu-
cius x. Brown of Washington.
Mr.. Brown said last week there
were only two members of his
sect in the Youth Center. How
ever, his meetings were at
tended by as many as Is in
mates.
Didn't Excite Group
1t was emphasized that Mr..
Brown personally did not make
inflammatory remarks to the
prisoners at any Of his meet
ingS with them. Mr.. Havener
said it was his opinion that, if
anything. the minister may
have been talking over the
heads of his congregation in
terms Of the Islamic back
ground. The cult favors COM
plete separation of the white
and Negro races rather than
Indignation.
The Youth Center is an I'M
usual prison to begin with. The
purpose of the institution is to
keep young men, committed
for first offense. from contact
with hardened criminals. Since
all the inmates are young men,
often without educational
background. the center tests
the new ones exclusively to
determine their learning poten-
tial.
Any inmate who has not
graduated from high school has
the opportunity to do so at
Lorton and there are teachers
there who work with them just
as If the place was a training
school. In fact it is.
The youths attend class for
high school equivalency certifi-
Gates or if it seems plain that