Urgent Action Alert-Andre Jacobs Assaulted, Mail Stolen!

For Immediate Release-Forward Far and Wide and Take Action Today

Andre Jacobs, a 26-year-old state prisoner confined at Fayette prison, was assaulted on Friday, April 24th according to multiple eyewitness reports when C/O Keller slammed his body and head into a wall upon the orders of Lt. Vojacek. The day before Andre was deprived of hundreds upon hundreds of pages legal mail directly related to the $185,000 lawsuit he won in November, which is in the appeal stage. The DOC is attempting to force him to forfeit his victory and in doing so send a message to all under their control: you have no rights, there will never be justice. (additional background below-please read)

We cannot allow this.

HRC/Fed Up! is calling on all members of the Emergency Response Network to take action today and throughout the week by calling the State Correctional Institution (SCI) at Fayette, DOC Secretary Jeffrey Beard, and the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) in defense of Andre Jacobs.

This needs to stop! An attack on Andre is an attack on all jailhouse lawyers and all prisoners! Please take action now.

Call and Write: (addresses below)

SCI Fayette: 724-364-2200 (Superintendent Brian Coleman)
Department of Corrections Central Office, Secretary Jeffrey Beard: 717-975-4918
Office of Professional Responsibility Director James Barnacle: 717-214-8485; OPR Hotline: 1-800-677-0330

Ask to be connected to the Superintendent's office when calling Fayette. When connected report that you have been informed of the April 24th assault against Andre Jacobs and the illegal confiscation of his mail the day before-especially trial transcripts from his November lawsuit victory. Tell Coleman, Beard, and Barnacle that this fits into a documented pattern and practice of targeting prisoners who file grievances and lawsuits regarding conditions of confinement and staff misconduct, especially Mr. Jacobs, and that you are aware that Superintendent Coleman and Jeffrey Beard have been notified of these violations in the preceding weeks and months. Then demand the following:

1)-Hands off Andre Jacobs. Issue explicit orders to staff to cease from all verbal and physical provocations and abuse;
2)-Immediate delivery of all of Andre's legal mail and un-obstructed access to his legal property as he needs it;
3)-Arrange and emergency transfer to separate Andre from guards who have a proven hostility toward him and who violate his rights on a daily basis;
4)-Immediate removal of Lt. Vojacek and Captain Legget from the Fayette Special Management Unit (SMU) and an intensive investigation into their role in organizing and sanctioning consistent violations of prisoners' rights, especially targeting those who file grievances and lawsuits.

Further inform both SCI Fayette and DOC Central Office that a substantial and extensive documentary record of these patterns and practices exist and that you understand continued silence on the part of ranking officials to be an admission of criminal complicity in a conspiracy to violate prisoners' constitutional rights.

Tell them that you are part of a movement that demands accountability from all public officials and will continue to expose crimes of the DOC until justice is done.

We will be sending HRC/Fed Up! supporters an update with additional information and courses of action for follow up this week. This case is crucial and we need everybody in on this one. Thank you.

Human Rights Coalition 5125 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15224

May 4, 2009

From:
Human Rights Coalition
5125 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15224

To:
Superintendent Coleman Secretary Beard Director Barnacle
SCI Fayette P.O. Box 598 P.O. Box 598
50 Overlook Drive 2520 Lisburn Road 2520 Lisburn Road
LaBelle, PA 15450 Camp Hill, PA 17001 Camp Hill, PA 17001

Request for Accountability,

This letter and accompanying documentation is being written to create a public evidentiary record acknowledging Superintendent Coleman and Secretary Beard's prior knowledge of the pattern of retaliation and intimidation targeting Andre Jacobs subsequent to his legal victory in November. The Human Rights Coalition is in possession of even more ample documentation, including institutional grievances and requests to staff, letters addressed to both the Superintendent and Secretary, affidavits to the Federal court, and multiple eyewitness accounts regarding the general pattern and practice of repression along with detailed accounts of specific incidents.

We are requesting immediate accountability in the following simple and legally mandated ways: 1) immediate delivery of all of Mr. Jacobs legal and other mail and un-obstructed access to his legal property as he needs it; 2)-arrange and emergency transfer to separate Mr. Jacobs from guards who have a proven hostility toward him; 3)-immediate removal of Lt. Vojacek and Captain Legget from the Fayette Special Management Unit (SMU) and an intensive investigation into their role in organizing and sanctioning consistent violations of prisoners' rights, especially targeting those who file grievances and lawsuits.

Mr. Barnacle we demand transparent investigatory procedures, full disclosure of the prisoners interviewed by your office and security camera footage reviewed. Mr. Beard we are requesting that you authorize Mr. Barnacle and all other relevant actors in the DOC to cooperate in a transparent investigation where the evidence will be subjected to public scrutiny.

Swift action in these matters will preclude a further need for the notification of federal law enforcement via formal criminal complaints.
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Respectfully Submitted,

Bret Grote
Human Rights Coalition-Investigator