SCI-Forest Occupy Solitary Confinement
By Jerome "Hoagie" Coffey

On or about, Thursday, March 15, 2012 at State Correctional Institution Forest "SCI-Forest" the unthinkable took place "occupy solitary confinement" by three courageous outspoken warriors, freedom fighters, anti-prison industrial complex opponents, and politicize social prisoners, "so to speak". These three gentlemen demonstrated a nonviolent peaceful protest called "occupy solitary confinement" to call attention to alarming abuse(s) in SCI-Forest solitary confinement. More on the three prisoners later.

However, SCI-Forest is located in Jenks Township, Forest County, Pennsylvania deep in the boondocks, a region part of the Alleghenies Forest.

Now, SCI-Forest solitary confinement racial composition is predominately African-American and Latino prisoners. Compared with, the racial composition among white custodial staff employees are mostly white.

Not to mention, no African-American or Latino custodial staff are employed in solitary confinement on no shift. For example, 6-2; 2-10, 10-6 thereby making solitary confinement a hostile environment for African-American and Latino prisoners in the hands of mostly white custodial staff employers.

Meanwhile, the three gentlemen who organize "occupy solitary confinement" David Harris, Nicholas Edwards, and Israel Torres was so mind-boggling and unsettled with the abuse(s) in solitary confinement and brutal beating of two mentally ill prisoners Michael Crawford and William Brown 2/23/12 by Lieutenant Raymond Burkhart "Lt. Burkhrat" [emphasis added].

Furthermore, these three gentlemen decide to coordinate a protest 3-15-12 and bypass all the Pennsylvania of Department Corrections policies and sacrifice themselves to be subjected to be cell extracted by refusing to come in from morning yard into SCI-Forest administrators remove Lt. Burkhart from solitary confinement and send elder prisoner John Grello to an outside hospital for thyroid, postate, and cataract because SCI-Forest medical department refused to treat him. Noted John Grello been in solitary confinement thirty years.

In a nutshell, 11/9/11 SCI-Forest administrators particularly Deputy Tice and Major Repko reassigned Lt. Burkhart back in solitary confinement, fully aware of his reputation and baggage. However, Lt. Burkhart took the reassignment on the condition of complaints filed by prisoners cease to exist and pretty much hands-off under their leadership.

In fact, to substantiate Lt. Burkhart pattern of abuse (see infra cases) which he has a history of violating prisoner human rights and civil rights, and was removed twice from solitary confinement for torturing African-American and Latino prisoners (see e.g. Hankins v. Beard, 2008 U.S. Dist. Lexis 57987 July 29, 2011; Jones v. Beard, 154 F. appx. 743, 3 Cir 2005; Hawkins v. Kryservig, 2010 U.S. Diet. Lexis 99365 August 26, 2010; Hopkins v. Apadaca, 2011 U.S. Diet. Lexis 101806, August 3, 2011; Robinson v. Sobina, 2011 U.S. Dist Leix, 140023, December 6, 2011; Bailey v. Beard, 2010 U.S. Dist Lexis 34765, March 1, 2010; Brown v. Sobina, 2008 U.S. Dist Lexis, 118628, September 1, 2008).

In closing, in the words of my shero Fannie Lou Hammer, "We must bring right and justice where there is wrong and injustice." David Harris Nicholas Edwards and Israel Torres thank you so much for exposing SCI-Forest abuse(s) in solitary confinement and beating the drum for justice by showing resistance to oppression by organizing occupy solitary confinement (straight ahead!).

In Struggle
In Solitary
Stay Alert
Stiff Resistance

Jerome, LOVE, peace, justice, and Humanity!
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