Robert Seth Hayes Parole Hearing Postponed until September

From:    "Political Prisoner News" <ppnews@freedomarchives.org>
Date:    Sun, June 8, 2008

June 6, 2008
Comrades:

I just received a call from Seth this morning, and he has successfully
postponed his parole hearing until September. This will give us more time
to write letters to the board and possibly even arrange a meeting with
Gov. Paterson about the repeated denial of parole for Seth.

Anne
NYC Jericho

*PLEASE FORWARD*

Support Parole for US Political Prisoner Robert 'Seth' Hayes! - Letters
needed by August 30, 2008

Locked down for more than a lifetime: Soliciting letters of support for
a U.S. political prisoner Robert Seth Hayes's Parole ­

A letter from the Robert Seth Hayes Support Committee -
www.sethhayes.org | info (at) sethhayes.org

Robert "Seth" Hayes is a U.S. political prisoner and former member of
the Black Panther Party who has been imprisoned in New York state for
more than three decades. When Seth was convicted in 1974, his sentence
was 25 years to life. The implicit understanding at the time of his
sentencing was that Seth would serve 25 years as a minimum, after which
time he would be eligible for release based on his record and conduct in
prison.

In September of 2008, Seth will be going before the parole board for the
sixth time. At each of Seth's previous parole hearings, he was denied
release due to the serious nature of the crime he was convicted for and
given another two year hit. The refusal of parole for the serious nature
of the crime is contrary to the spirit of the law, for it is something
that a prisoner can never change, and the giving of parole is based upon
the prisoner's behavior while behind bars.

Seth is not the only one being subjected to these unfair rules. This has
become common practice for the New York state parole board, who, by
denying parole based on the seriousness of the conviction, are de facto
re-sentencing many prisoners to life in prison without the possibility
of parole.

Seth's prison record is exemplary, and if a decision about Seth's parole
were to be based on his conduct and personal growth, he would have
rejoined his family and his community years ago.

Please write a letter to the parole board to let them know that you
think Seth deserves to be released. Write your own letter, or use the
sample letter that has been included in this document.

If you have a personal relationship with Seth, please consider writing
about this relationship in your letter. If you work with a community
organization or union, have a professional job, or are a rock star,
please consider mentioning this in your letter (or writing on
letterhead, etc.).

If you decide to personalize your letter, you may choose to include
information drawn from the short biography also included in this
package, where some of Seth's accomplishments are highlighted.

More information about Seth can be found on a web page that has been put
together by his supporters at www.sethhayes.org

All letters should be mailed or faxed to Seth's lawyer, Susan Tipograph,
by no later than August 30, 2008 as Seth's parole hearing is taking
place in September of 2008. Please send all of your letters to:


Susan Tipograph
Attorney at Law
350 Broadway
New York, NY
10013
fax (212) 625-3939


Sample Letter

Re: Robert Seth Hayes #74A2280

Dear Senior Parole Officer of Wende Correctional Institute,

I am writing on behalf of Robert Hayes who is scheduled to appear before
the parole board for the sixth time in September of 2008.

Robert Hayes' application for parole was denied when he last appeared
before the board two years ago. At the time of that appearance, his
record was excellent. However, since that time his record is outstanding.
Mr. Hayes has continued to work to help others and improve himself. While
at Clinton Correctional Facility, he facilitated in the HIV Educators
program to assist others as well as becoming a member of the Lifer's and
Long Termers Organization whose primary goal is to educate and instruct
newly arriving inmates in adjustment to and preparation for final release
from incarceration. Since his transfer to Wende Correctional Facility, he
has coached basketball and participated in a local restorative justice
project. These are but a few of his many accomplishments over his years of
incarceration. I am confident that were he to be released, he would be a
great asset to the community and to society at large.

There is no question that the crime for which Mr. Hayes was convicted
was a serious crime. However, he has shown remorse and takes full
responsibility for his acts. I am sure that you will agree that after
serving almost 35 years, Mr. Hayes' release at this time would not so
deprecate the seriousness of the crime so as to undermine respect for
the law. Moreover, if you examine all of the factors that are used to
predict whether a person is likely to recidivate, those factors indicate
that Mr. Hayes will not engage in any criminal activity. His disciplinary
history during his incarceration indicates that he obeys the rules in
prison; he has a supportive network of family and friends on the outside
available to assist him in his reintegration back into society and he had
an extensive work history prior to being incarcerated in addition to
obtaining marketable skills in prison that will help him to obtain
employment. Nothing is gained by his continued incarceration, and much is
lost, as he has much to offer the community upon his release.

By the time that Mr. Hayes appears before the parole board, he will be
60 years old, more than 34 years older and considerably wiser than the
man who was charged with committing the crime. He is a compassionate,
caring individual and deserves a second chance. Please grant Mr. Hayes
parole and give him that second chance.

Sincerely,

_____________________

Biography

Robert Seth Hayes was born in Harlem, New York in October 1948. His
father, John Franklin Hayes, was the child of sharecroppers and came to
New York City from South Carolina; his mother, Francine Washington
Hayes, moved to New York from Pittsburgh. Both of Mr. Hayes' parents
worked for the U.S. Postal Service, trying to provide a better life for
Seth and his four brothers and sisters. They also instilled in their
children the desire to work for the betterment of their community. Seth
writes, "My mother taught me to visualize family universally, not
individually." Seth's father was a World War II veteran and a member of
the United Negro Improvement Association, the Black Nationalist
organization founded by Marcus Garvey.

Growing up in New York City, first in Harlem, later in the Bronx and
Queens, Mr. Hayes saw one Black neighborhood after another suffering
from neglect, despair, anger and defeat. During 1950s and 1960s with the
growing rise of the civil rights and Black power movements Seth recalls
witnessing over the years a birth of hope and determination to overcome
these conditions.

After his schooling in New York City, Mr. Hayes worked as a psychiatric
aide at Creedmoor Hospital. He was drafted into the U.S. Army and sent
to Vietnam. He saw combat, was wounded and awarded the Purple Heart,
National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal and the
Vietnam Campaign Medal.

In the armed forces, Seth underwent a change of consciousness. After
the death of Martin Luther King Junior in 1968, Seth's troop was ordered
to patrol the city streets with fixed bayonets to put down the
rebellions resulting from Dr. King's assassination. "It was the saddest
day of my life," Seth remembers, "and I could never identify again with
the aims of the armed forces or the government."

Upon returning to the United States from Vietnam, Seth was swept up in
the Black Liberation movement and joined the Black Panther Party. He
worked in the free breakfast for children program and began dedicating
his life to the betterment of Black people. His knowledge of the
effects of racism on the Black community convinced him that the Black
Panthers' program of community service ad community self-defense was
what was needed. His work, like that of so many others, was disrupted
by COINTELPRO. Fearing further attacks, he went underground, believing
it to be the only way to protect the work of the Black Panther Party and
the Black movement in general.

Robert Seth Hayes had two children prior to his arrest and imprisonment,
and he has remained closely involved their lives and upbringing, despite
the difficulties presented by his long incarceration. His son, Chunga,
lives and works in Atlanta. His daughter, Crystal, herself mother of
14-year-old Myaisha, is a student at the Smith College graduate school
of social work in Western Massachusetts. Seth calls his family "the
loves of my life." He describes his relationship with Crystal this way,
"She has had the most intense impact on my life, always questioning,
full of joy and insight, grasping lessons and maintaining her own
dreams. She has kept me striving always to expand my knowledge and
illuminate my principles, as I struggle to stay abreast of her
questioning mind."

Seth has been diagnosed with Type II diabetes and Hepatitis C. He has
been extremely ill and had great difficulty procuring the necessary
healthcare and has needed the help of his lawyers and some state
political leaders in order to get adequate treatment.

While in prison, Seth continues to work for the betterment of the
community in which he lives. He has participated in programs with the
NAACP, the Jaycees and other organizations and has worked as a
librarian, pre-release advisor and AIDS counselor. Whenever possible, he
has taken college courses. He is also a longtime advisor and
collaborator in the annual "Certain Days" Political Prisoner calendar
project. He is dedicated to continuing to work for social justice when
he gets out of prison. At Wende correctional facility where he is
currently incarcerated, Seth is working to put together a "lifers
program" to help rehabilitate prisoners and prepare them to reenter the
community. Seth also coaches basketball and works on assisting a local
restorative justice project taking place in Buffalo.

For more information about Seth, please check out www.sethhayes.org or
e-mail info (at) sethhayes.org.



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