Human rights defender and jailhouse lawyer under attack

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com

Stop the retaliation against Andre Jacobs at SCI Huntingdon - Call in the week of January 10-14, 2011  


(apologies for the offensive language, which is reproduced as reported)

The Human Rights Coalition-Fed Up! has received reports that Andre
Jacobs, a Pennsylvania state prisoner in solitary confinement, has
been physically abused, issued death threats, denied medical
treatment, called racial slurs, and had his legal property illegally
withheld and confiscated by prison staff at SCI Huntingdon in the past week.

On January 3, 2011, prison guard Cook yelled out to prisoners on the
solitary confinement unit, "You niggers are always complaining, we're
about to turn it up!" He then told Andre, "We already know you file
paperwork, file a grievance and you'll die here!"

On January 4, 2011, prison guard Cook told Andre, "We got a shitload
of your legal mail out there. Either you sign an agreement to not try
to sue about yesterday or you're not getting it. That's per Lt.
Taylor and approved by Wakefield and Eckard [ranking staff]." After
other prisoners spoke out, Andre was given some-but not all-of his legal mail.

On January 6, 2011, guard Uzenski (sp?) made obscene comments when
conducting a visual strip-search prior to escorting Mr. Jacobs to a
physical. When Andre requested to see a Lt., Uzenski grabbed his arm,
which was still in the door slot, and the other guard present slammed
his arm in the slot, causing an abrasion. Uzenski said, "You got a
problem with me looking at your f***ing c**k?! I'll break you f***ing
neck, nigger!" Mr. Jacobs was deprived a physical examination as a
consequence, which he has been waiting on for 3 years.

In 2008, Mr. Jacobs was awarded $185,000 in a lawsuit against the PA
Department of Corrections (DOC) in which he represented himself.
Andre has been held in solitary confinement since 2001, when he filed
his first lawsuit at age 19. He is now 28 years old.

Since that victory he has been transferred to three different
prisons, repeatedly assaulted, attacked with electro-shock and
chemical weaponry, strapped to the "restraint chair" for 18 hours at
a time, held naked in a cell without property for 7 days on multiple
occasions, deprived of food and water, and subject to other human
rights violations. Andre has also been issued dozens of fabricated
misconducts in order to keep him buried alive in solitary confinement.

The PA DOC has been made aware of these criminal violations on
multiple occasions and have taken no action to hold perpetrators accountable.

Andre has recently filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in the Middle
District of Pennsylvania over these acts of torture, naming more than
100 DOC and state law enforcement agents as defendants.

Please call and write prison officials and inform them that you are
aware of these severe human rights violations. Demand an end to the
repression of human rights defenders.

The repression is escalating and Andre and others at SCI Huntingdon
are in real danger. Please tie up the phones and faxes - people's
rights and lives are on the line.

Phone Calls: Superintendent Raymond Lawler: Phone 814.643.2400
begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              814.643.2400
end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Superintendent Lawler's Address: 1100 Pike Street, Huntingdon, PA 16654

SCI Huntingdon Fax: 814-506-1186

Secretary of Pennsylvania Prisons, Shirley Moore Smeal Phone: 717-975-4918

Secretary Moore-Smeal's address: Central Office, 2520 Lisburn Road, PO Box 598

Talking Points

1)    Patiently report the above incidents. Don't let them brush you off.

2)    Ask what steps they are going to take to stop these abuses.

3)    Ask what other officials they have contacted about these reports.

4)    Demand an answer as to why Superintendent Lawler is not
permitting Andre to have his legal property.

5)    Ask for email addresses so you can more readily send reports in
the future.

6)    Inform officials at Huntingdon and Central Office of other
media agencies, legislators, governmental officials, or law
enforcement you intend on contacting so that they understand that
they are being watched.

Please take it upon yourself to contact one further
person-legislator, reporter, friend, family member-and insist that
they play a part in speaking out against the torture of Andre Jacobs
and the racist repression of human rights defenders.

Sample

January 11, 2010

To:

Acting Secretary Moore-Smeal
2520 Lisburn Road
Camp Hill, PA 17001

Secretary Moore-Smeal,

I have recently become aware of the decade-long series of abuses
inflicted against Andre Jacobs by guards and officials throughout the
PA DOC. Recently, acts of retaliation have escalated.

On January 3, 2011, prison guard Cook yelled out to prisoners on the
solitary confinement unit, "You niggers are always complaining, we're
about to turn it up!" He then told Andre, "We already know you file
paperwork, file a grievance and you'll die here!"

On January 4, 2011, prison guard Cook told Andre, "We got a shitload
of your legal mail out there. Either you sign an agreement to not try
to sue about yesterday or you're not getting it. That's per Lt.
Taylor and approved by Wakefield and Eckard [ranking staff]." After
other prisoners spoke out, Andre was given some-but not all-of his legal mail.

On January 6, 2011, guard Uzenski made obscene comments when
conducting a visual strip-search prior to escorting Mr. Jacobs to a
physical. When Andre requested to see a Lt., Uzenski grabbed his arm,
which was still in the door slot, and the other guard present slammed
his arm in the slot, causing an abrasion. Uzenski said, "You got a
problem with me looking at your f***ing c**k?! I'll break you f***ing
neck, nigger!" Mr. Jacobs was deprived a physical examination as a
consequence, which he has been waiting on for 3 years.

I am requesting that you put an immediate end to this abuse by
transferring Andre to another facility where he can finally re-enter
the general population. A legitimate investigation into the criminal
acts of staff working in the solitary confinement unit at Huntingdon
is urgently necessary.

As the first African-American woman to be Secretary of the DOC, we
are counting on you to work with a concerned citizenry to put an end
to these acts of racist abuse.

Thank you for your attention in this matter.

 Respectfully Submitted,

Human rights defender and jailhouse lawyer under attack

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 10, 2011

Contact: Bret Grote, HRC-Investigator
-  <mailto:hrcfeup@gmail.com>hrcfeup@gmail.com        412.654.9070

The Human Rights Coalition-Fed Up! has received 4 affidavits stating
that Andre Jacobs, a Pennsylvania state prisoner in solitary
confinement, has been physically abused, issued death threats, denied
medical treatment, called racial slurs, and had his legal property
illegally withheld and confiscated by prison staff at SCI Huntingdon
in the past week.

On January 3, 2011, prison guard Cook yelled out to prisoners on the
solitary confinement unit, "You niggers are always complaining, we're
about to turn it up!" He then told Andre, "We already know you file
paperwork, file a grievance and you'll die here!"

On January 4, 2011, prison guard Cook told Andre, "We got a shitload
of your legal mail out there. Either you sign an agreement to not try
to sue about yesterday or you're not getting it. That's per Lt.
Taylor and approved by Wakefield and Eckard [ranking staff]." After
other prisoners spoke out, Andre was given some-but not all-of his legal mail.

On January 6, 2011, guard Uzenski made obscene comments when
conducting a visual strip-search prior to escorting Mr. Jacobs to a
physical. When Andre requested to see a Lt., Uzenski grabbed his arm,
which was still in the door slot, and the other guard present slammed
his arm in the slot, causing an abrasion. Uzenski said, "You got a
problem with me looking at your f***ing c**k?! I'll break you f***ing
neck, nigger!" Mr. Jacobs was deprived a physical examination as a
consequence, which he has been waiting on for 3 years.

In 2008, Mr. Jacobs was awarded $185,000 in a lawsuit against the PA
Department of Corrections (DOC) in which he represented himself.
Andre has been held in solitary confinement since 2001, when he filed
his first lawsuit at age 19. He is now 28 years old.

Since that victory he has been transferred to three different
prisons, repeatedly assaulted, attacked with electro-shock and
chemical weaponry, strapped to the "restraint chair" for 18 hours at
a time, held naked in a cell without property for 7 days on multiple
occasions, deprived of food and water, and subject to other human
rights violations. Andre has also been issued dozens of fabricated
misconducts in order to keep him buried alive in solitary confinement.

The PA DOC has been made aware of these criminal violations on
multiple occasions and have taken no action to hold perpetrators accountable.

Andre has recently filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in the Middle
District of Pennsylvania over these acts of torture, naming more than
100 DOC and state law enforcement agents as defendants.

Acting Secretary Shirley Moore-Smeal, the first African-American
woman to head the DOC, along with SCI Huntingdon Superintendent have
been made aware of these human rights violations.


Human Rights Coalition-Pittsburgh

FedUp! Chapter

hrcfedup@gmail.com
http://hrcoalition.org