[Ppnews] Support Parole for Political Prisoner Seth Hayes

Political Prisoner News ppnews at freedomarchives.org
Mon Nov 17 11:02:16 EST 2008


A letter from the Robert Seth Hayes Support Committee:
www.sethhayes.org | <mailto:info at 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 December 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 of 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, 
which, by denying parole based on the seriousness of the conviction, 
is 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 <http://www.sethhayes.org>www.sethhayes.org

All letters should be mailed or faxed to Seth's lawyer, Susan 
Tipograph, by no later than November 30, 2008 as Seth's parole 
hearing is taking place in December 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 December 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 34 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 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 
<http://www.sethhayes.org>www.sethhayes.org or e-mail 
<mailto:info at sethhayes.org>info (at) sethhayes.org.




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