From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Otis R. Bowen, M.D.
(February 26, 1918 – May 4, 2013), was the
governor
of the
American
state
of
Indiana
from 1973 to 1981. He was the first governor of Indiana to serve two consecutive terms. He was also the
United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
on the
cabinet
of
President
Ronald Reagan
.
Bowen was born in a
farmhouse
in
Fulton County
, Indiana. He raised his family, practiced
medicine
, and began his
political
career while living in
Bremen
, Indiana, where he still lives today.
On Labor Day weekend in September 1973, Governor Bowen declared amnesty for a group of inmates that took hostages and rioted at the Indiana State Prison. Although his decision to give "blanket amnesty" was a controversial one, it proved to be the correct decision as all the hostages, who were not only guards, but also a few select inmates who were otherwise weak and preyed upon, were released without harm. The guards who were subsequently released after a short meeting took place between the leaders of the riot and Governor Bowen in front of b-block....the inmate negotiation took only a few minutes between the governor and a group of inmates led by one Thomas D Brown (ISP#37151) serving 10 years for armed robbery, and was compelling enough to cause Gov. Bowen to declare a successful "blanket amnesty".
The governor's action preceded a "domino effect" of changes made in all aspects of the Indiana Department of Corrections. The changes involved personnel, regulations and conditions within areas of the system, e.g. medical, food, access to media, and disciplinary aspects of every day life.
Bowen died on May 4, 2013 in his home in
Donaldson, Indiana
at the age of 95. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
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Secretaries of Health
and Human Services
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