May 27, 2014
John E. Wetzel
Secretary of Corrections
PA Department of Corrections
1920 Technology Parkway
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
and
John Kerestes, Superintendent
SCI Mahanoy
301 Morea Road
Frackville, PA 17932
Re: Frances Goldin Contact Visits with Mumia Abu-Jamal AM 8335
Dear Sirs:
On behalf of Ms. Frances Goldin and Mumia Abu-Jamal (AM 8335) I am requesting that you permit contact visits between Ms. Goldin and Mr. Jamal. In the decades of visitation by Ms. Goldin there were no infractions of visitation rules and no infractions regarding Mumia Abu-Jamal. There is no reasonable and legitimate correctional objective in restricting Ms. Goldin’s visitation with Mr. Abu-Jamal to non-contact visits. Rather, this restriction is so grossly inapplicable and exaggerated as to be irrational, punitive and retaliatory against both Ms. Goldin and Mr. Abu-Jamal and an infringement of Mr. Abu-Jamal’s First Amendment rights as well as substantive due process.
As you are aware, Frances Goldin is a close friend and the literary agent for Mumia Abu-Jamal. Ms. Goldin turns 90 years old on June 22, 2014. She has severe coronary illness and is frail, while continuing on a reduced schedule as a publishing agent. As Ms. Goldin said in her last appeal to you, “I fear I have little time left.”
Until September 2011, Ms. Goldin regularly visited with Mr. Jamal. Since Mr. Abu-Jamal was then on death row, those visits at SCI Greene were non-contact. At the point that Mr. Abu-Jamal was in general population at SCI Mahanoy, Ms. Goldin’s visiting privileges were suspended at SCI Greene for reasons totally unrelated to Mr. Abu-Jamal.
Ms. Goldin had been charged with violating the prisoner mail regulations with another prisoner at SCI Greene. This was not a violation of visitation regulations and not a violation involving Mr. Abu-Jamal.
At the time of the violation, Ms. Goldin had visiting privileges as a member of the PA Prison Society and she visited a number of prisoners in addition to Mr. Abu-Jamal. As a PPS visitor she was concerned generally about issues impacting the health and welfare of prisoners. In April 2011, Ms. Goldin was a special PPS Guest at SCI Greene, attending the Annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony at SCI Greene’s Chapel. Ms. Goldin was also given a tour that took her on the grounds, to the law library, to the kitchen and to cell block of death row, and she was able to go cell to cell speaking with the capital prisoners. Ms. Goldin was provided with a wheel chair and the assist of personnel to make this tour. She was very appreciative of this opportunity. Superintendent Folino invited her to a private meeting with him and he heard many of her concerns about prisoners’ diets, medical care, housing as well as ending the death penalty in Pennsylvania and questions about prisoner Russell Shoats (AF 3855) being kept in Administrative Custody for so many years.
The mail violation charged against Ms. Goldin is that she sent contraband in a letter to SCI Greene inmate Ronald Gibson, BS-0997. Specifically, per an October 5, 2011 letter from then SCI Green Superintendent Louis S. Folino, the contraband was a “nude photograph” of her, which violates DOC policy. This photograph was of Ms. Goldin reading a book sitting in a chair without a shirt on. She thought the photo of her sagging breasts was funny. Ms. Goldin explained that she didn’t realize it violated DOC regulations to send such a photo and apologized.
Ms. Goldin’s six-month suspension of visiting privileges at SCI Greene ended on March 5, 2012. Mr. Abu-Jamal, who was then in general population at SCI Mahanoy, requested Ms. Goldin added to his visitor’s list.
On March 14, 2012 Ms. Goldin sent her request to be able to visit Mr. Abu-Jamal to Secretary Wetzel and Superintendent Kerestes. In an October 16, 2012 letter from Secretary Wetzel, Ms. Goldin was informed that her visitor suspension would remain in place “at all state correctional facilities,” although her suspension was for six months, per Superintendent Folino.
On July 5, 2013 Ms. Goldin again requested to be able to visit Mr. Abu-Jamal. The response from Superintendent Kerestes, in a letter dated August 23, 2013, informed Ms. Goldin that she was “now approved for non-contact visits only with Mr. Abu-Jamal” and that this restriction would be “reviewed after a period of no less than six (6) months to determine if contact visits will be granted.” Notably, Superintendent Kerestes provided no explanation for this restriction. And indeed, there is nothing under the DOC regulations that provide a legitimate reason for this restriction. There are no security issues of any sort. This is not an issue of a visitor bringing bring drugs into the institution.
Ms. Goldin did attempt a non-contact visit with Mr. Abu-Jamal shortly after but was not able to hear him given the conditions of the non-contact visiting area at Mahanoy and her own impaired hearing. She was neither able to speak with him personally nor have discussion on his latest writings and her work in having them published.
The August 23, 2013 letter stated there could be a review after a period of six months. Ms. Goldin made another appeal to you in early April 2014 for contact visits with Mr. Abu-Jamal.
The response from Superintendent Kerestes dated April 16, 3014 inexplicably states: “SCI-Mahanoy strives to provide a safe, wholesome environment for family and friends to conduct visits with inmates. Ms. Goldin, after reviewing the details of previous visits, your visiting privileges at the State Correctional Institute at Mahanoy will continue to be non-contact.”
There is no factual basis for this purported reason for restricting visits to non-contact visits; nor is there a rational nexus between the mail violation Ms. Goldin was charged with and restricting her visits to non-contact. What, might one ask, would undermine the purported “safe, wholesome environment for family and friends to conduct visits with inmates” if Ms. Goldin had a contact visit with Mr. Abu-Jamal? Frances Goldin is a decades long dear friend of Mumia Abu-Jamal and his literary agent as well.
This restriction of visitation to a non-contact visit between Mr. Abu-Jamal and Ms. Goldin is simply punitive and retaliatory and doesn’t even conform to the DOC rules on restrictions of prisoners’ visitation.
Superintendent Wetzel’s response, dated April 21, 2014 was in fact non-responsive to Ms. Goldin’s request, simply stating that Ms. Goldin had permission for non-contact visits.
Please respond as soon as possible. Frances Goldin is nearing her 90th Birthday. It is cruel and punitive to deprive Mr. Abu-Jamal and Ms. Goldin of a contact visit.
Yours truly,
Rachel Wolkenstein
Cc: Frances Goldin
Mumia Abu-Jamal
John E. Wetzel
Secretary of Corrections
PA Department of Corrections
1920 Technology Parkway
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
and
John Kerestes, Superintendent
SCI Mahanoy
301 Morea Road
Frackville, PA 17932
Re: Frances Goldin Contact Visits with Mumia Abu-Jamal AM 8335
Dear Sirs:
On behalf of Ms. Frances Goldin and Mumia Abu-Jamal (AM 8335) I am requesting that you permit contact visits between Ms. Goldin and Mr. Jamal. In the decades of visitation by Ms. Goldin there were no infractions of visitation rules and no infractions regarding Mumia Abu-Jamal. There is no reasonable and legitimate correctional objective in restricting Ms. Goldin’s visitation with Mr. Abu-Jamal to non-contact visits. Rather, this restriction is so grossly inapplicable and exaggerated as to be irrational, punitive and retaliatory against both Ms. Goldin and Mr. Abu-Jamal and an infringement of Mr. Abu-Jamal’s First Amendment rights as well as substantive due process.
As you are aware, Frances Goldin is a close friend and the literary agent for Mumia Abu-Jamal. Ms. Goldin turns 90 years old on June 22, 2014. She has severe coronary illness and is frail, while continuing on a reduced schedule as a publishing agent. As Ms. Goldin said in her last appeal to you, “I fear I have little time left.”
Until September 2011, Ms. Goldin regularly visited with Mr. Jamal. Since Mr. Abu-Jamal was then on death row, those visits at SCI Greene were non-contact. At the point that Mr. Abu-Jamal was in general population at SCI Mahanoy, Ms. Goldin’s visiting privileges were suspended at SCI Greene for reasons totally unrelated to Mr. Abu-Jamal.
Ms. Goldin had been charged with violating the prisoner mail regulations with another prisoner at SCI Greene. This was not a violation of visitation regulations and not a violation involving Mr. Abu-Jamal.
At the time of the violation, Ms. Goldin had visiting privileges as a member of the PA Prison Society and she visited a number of prisoners in addition to Mr. Abu-Jamal. As a PPS visitor she was concerned generally about issues impacting the health and welfare of prisoners. In April 2011, Ms. Goldin was a special PPS Guest at SCI Greene, attending the Annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony at SCI Greene’s Chapel. Ms. Goldin was also given a tour that took her on the grounds, to the law library, to the kitchen and to cell block of death row, and she was able to go cell to cell speaking with the capital prisoners. Ms. Goldin was provided with a wheel chair and the assist of personnel to make this tour. She was very appreciative of this opportunity. Superintendent Folino invited her to a private meeting with him and he heard many of her concerns about prisoners’ diets, medical care, housing as well as ending the death penalty in Pennsylvania and questions about prisoner Russell Shoats (AF 3855) being kept in Administrative Custody for so many years.
The mail violation charged against Ms. Goldin is that she sent contraband in a letter to SCI Greene inmate Ronald Gibson, BS-0997. Specifically, per an October 5, 2011 letter from then SCI Green Superintendent Louis S. Folino, the contraband was a “nude photograph” of her, which violates DOC policy. This photograph was of Ms. Goldin reading a book sitting in a chair without a shirt on. She thought the photo of her sagging breasts was funny. Ms. Goldin explained that she didn’t realize it violated DOC regulations to send such a photo and apologized.
Ms. Goldin’s six-month suspension of visiting privileges at SCI Greene ended on March 5, 2012. Mr. Abu-Jamal, who was then in general population at SCI Mahanoy, requested Ms. Goldin added to his visitor’s list.
On March 14, 2012 Ms. Goldin sent her request to be able to visit Mr. Abu-Jamal to Secretary Wetzel and Superintendent Kerestes. In an October 16, 2012 letter from Secretary Wetzel, Ms. Goldin was informed that her visitor suspension would remain in place “at all state correctional facilities,” although her suspension was for six months, per Superintendent Folino.
On July 5, 2013 Ms. Goldin again requested to be able to visit Mr. Abu-Jamal. The response from Superintendent Kerestes, in a letter dated August 23, 2013, informed Ms. Goldin that she was “now approved for non-contact visits only with Mr. Abu-Jamal” and that this restriction would be “reviewed after a period of no less than six (6) months to determine if contact visits will be granted.” Notably, Superintendent Kerestes provided no explanation for this restriction. And indeed, there is nothing under the DOC regulations that provide a legitimate reason for this restriction. There are no security issues of any sort. This is not an issue of a visitor bringing bring drugs into the institution.
Ms. Goldin did attempt a non-contact visit with Mr. Abu-Jamal shortly after but was not able to hear him given the conditions of the non-contact visiting area at Mahanoy and her own impaired hearing. She was neither able to speak with him personally nor have discussion on his latest writings and her work in having them published.
The August 23, 2013 letter stated there could be a review after a period of six months. Ms. Goldin made another appeal to you in early April 2014 for contact visits with Mr. Abu-Jamal.
The response from Superintendent Kerestes dated April 16, 3014 inexplicably states: “SCI-Mahanoy strives to provide a safe, wholesome environment for family and friends to conduct visits with inmates. Ms. Goldin, after reviewing the details of previous visits, your visiting privileges at the State Correctional Institute at Mahanoy will continue to be non-contact.”
There is no factual basis for this purported reason for restricting visits to non-contact visits; nor is there a rational nexus between the mail violation Ms. Goldin was charged with and restricting her visits to non-contact. What, might one ask, would undermine the purported “safe, wholesome environment for family and friends to conduct visits with inmates” if Ms. Goldin had a contact visit with Mr. Abu-Jamal? Frances Goldin is a decades long dear friend of Mumia Abu-Jamal and his literary agent as well.
This restriction of visitation to a non-contact visit between Mr. Abu-Jamal and Ms. Goldin is simply punitive and retaliatory and doesn’t even conform to the DOC rules on restrictions of prisoners’ visitation.
Superintendent Wetzel’s response, dated April 21, 2014 was in fact non-responsive to Ms. Goldin’s request, simply stating that Ms. Goldin had permission for non-contact visits.
Please respond as soon as possible. Frances Goldin is nearing her 90th Birthday. It is cruel and punitive to deprive Mr. Abu-Jamal and Ms. Goldin of a contact visit.
Yours truly,
Rachel Wolkenstein
Cc: Frances Goldin
Mumia Abu-Jamal
