I just received this important email alert (pasted into the body below) from the Human Rights Coalition.
Please Help!
Emergency Transfer Needed to Prevent Suicide
Please Call SCI Fayette, DOC Headquarters, and the Governor's office Today
"I have relapsed. Daily the thought of killing myself is there." -Anthony Singleton, in a witness Declaration submitted HRC/Fed Up!
Mr. Singleton is currently being held on the same cell block where he witnessed a friend of his, named Juda, commit suicide by hanging in 2005 as a result of medical neglect and control unit torture.
Anthony has been reporting for weeks that since his return to Fayette he has been having visual hallucinations of his deceased friend and hearing the voices of Juda and others encouraging him to harm and/or kill himself. Anthony has suicidal urges on a daily basis and has even given himself small cuts on the wrist.
Mr. Singelton's situation is no secret and has been brought to the attention SCI Fayette Superintendent Coleman, DOC Secretary Beard, and Governor Rendell by HRC/Fed Up! (See below) He is being given no psychiatric or psychological treatment and has reportedly been encouraged to kill himself by guards on several occasions according to multiple eyewitnesses.
Please take action today, Mr. Singleton's life is in danger. He needs an immediate transfer to a facility capable of administering diagnostic and therapeutic mental health care.
This degree of dehumanization and reckless endangerment of human life is appalling, not to mention criminal. (see the Declaration below for an account from Mr. Singleton himself).
Let them know that you find this neglect unacceptable!
Call and Write: (addresses below)
- SCI Fayette: 724-364-2200 (Superintendent Brian Coleman)
- Department of Corrections Central Office, Secretary Jeffrey Beard: (717) 975-4918
- Governor Rendell: 717-772-8284
- ask to be connected to the Superintendent's/Secretary's/Governor's office;
- report that you have been made aware of Anthony Singleton's situation and that he is a) suffering from severe suicidal urges and has even engaged in acts of self-harm; b) he is experiencing visual and auditory hallucinations of a former prisoner, Juda, who hung himself as a result of medical neglect and illegal conditions of confinement in the LTSU in Fayette in 2005; c) he is being given no mental health care; d) staff are engaging in a campaign of harassment, including encouraging other prisoners to attack Anthony and advocating that he kill himself. C/O Roll has been singled out by multiple prisoners for his role.
- Demand: that Mr. Singleton a) be given an immediate transfer so as to protect his life; b) that he be given comprehensive mental health diagnostic treatment at SCI Waymart of a medical facility specializing in severe post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Remind: all officials and DOC staff that HRC/Fed Up! and Mr. Singleton's family are in possession of plenty of evidence demonstrating the DOC and the Governor's office were made aware of Anthony's situation a long time ago. Failure to act to prevent a tragedy despite having clear forewarning will implicate Superintendent Coleman, Secretary Beard, and the Governor's office in efforts to pursue justice via civil and criminal complaints should further harm or death befall Mr. Singleton.
Declaration of Anthony Singleton #CW8923
I, Anthony Singleton, swear or affirm according to the Law that the below is true to the best of my knowledge.
You ask me for as complete and comprehensive as possible my time spent in the LTSU at Fayette-as to the date I went in the LTSU I can't remember, perhaps memory loss.
I was at SCI Pittsburgh around 1998, in population, got in some trouble and went to their RHU. They transferred me to Greene County SMU. I was at Greene SMU . . . from 1999 to 2001, failed the SMU, developing mental health problems [such as] not being able to sleep due to the 24 hour banging of other inmates on the doors of the desk over top of me, beside me. This would go on for days and nights, then weeks at a time. Some staff member who disliked me would give inmates extra food trays to harass me, threaten to kill me, throw shit on me in the showers and yard. I was then transferred back to SCI Pittsburgh up on the roof where they housed the LTSU inmates. This had to be like 2002.
As to dates and times I tried to kill myself, I couldn't tell you the many attempts. Some nights I'd have to be driven to the hospital. I once stood in front of the nurse and an officer while waiting on medications, and broke my finger in front of them. At some point we were transferred to SCI Fayette because Pittsburgh was being closed down. The same type of treatment was repeated daily. I had shit thrown on me, I had rocks placed in my food, I was encouraged by staff to kill myself, which I tried again and again. Even the Psychologist Dr. Saaverdra tried to get me to kill myself, which I attempted and left a note as to his action toward me which would be a part of record as I filed a grievance all the way to Camp Hill. I went through hell.
I had a friend whom I became very close to, Juda. He only had three years left before it was time for him to go home. He was with me at Pittsburgh LTSU and when we moved to Fayette's LTSU. At Fayette I would watch and listen to Juda ask Dr. Gary Gallucci, who is now the Head of the psych department, for help. He would inform Dr. Gallucci that it was too much pressure on him and that he couldn't handle any more. He begged, pleaded with Dr. Saavadera, but received no help, would be told "take it one day at a time." Juda and I would stay up late some nights trying to talk over the banging.
One morning they were passing out the meal and his sheet was covering his door. I called over to him 6 or 7 times because if the door is covered you can't eat. I knew something was wrong. I told both officers that his sheet had been up all night and to take it down and check on him. When they pulled it down, Juda was standing partly bent. He didn't look dead but he wouldn't move. Then I saw the string around his neck. Anyway, he was gone. That pushed me over the edge. To this day I cannot sleep with any light completely off. I scream in the dark.
While in Fayette's LTSU I was denied yard, shower, food. The medical/psych staff were paid for nothing. I started hearing Juda's voice, seeing him laying there. He would ask me to do as he did, encouraging me to get it over. One night I broke the glass out my eyeglasses, and cut across my arm and veins in an attempt to kill myself. I received 12 stitches across my arm.
I have been on psych meds for over 9 years. Upon returning to SCI Fayette, which I should not [have], I informed pscyh Dr. Galluci and Dr. Saavadera that I cannot go through this again. This same staff who antagonized me, who showed such hostility towards me, harassed me, is now doing the same and [they] have housed me on the same L-block where Juda killed himself and I made many attempts to do likewise. It is now an SMU and I should not be housed on the same unit/block with SMU inmates. I am daily reliving my past, my meds were cut off at SCI Dallas by Dr. Jane Jesse because she lied and said she didn't have my records. However, now I'm receiving prozac and thorazine but no voice meds which [are] much needed.
At night there is Juda sitting on the floor with the rope around his neck, grinning, asking me why didn't I get it over with when he did. When I try to block him out he passes in front of me. Never once was I sent to a Mental Health Unit nor was I sent to Waymart for an evaluation, nor the Secure Special Needs Unit program. I'm being denied the right to go to my property to retrieve whatever grievances, documents, I have of my time spent in the LTSU. I'm being given false misconducts to prevent me from reaching population. I'm being retaliated against for reporting violations done to me at SCI Dallas.
I have relapsed. Daily the thought of killing myself is there.
Here an exhibit of what the psych do to help, which is nothing but come to your door to merely be seen on film as if they were helping you. Here a prescriptive treatment program evaluation which is no more than a joke, something that should have at least taken 30 days, was done in sessions of 1 hour each. It was simply the reading and answering questions from a book. It just shows how little they cared and care. They are trying to force me to kill myself. Now it is a known fact that I suffered from suicidal depression, caused to me by the event at Fayette's LTSU. I should not be exposed to these conditions inside the now SMU at Fayette. Capt. Leggett, Lt. Lear have given orders that I'm not to leave the RHU ever [while] here at SCI Fayette.
Anthony Singleton #CW8923
7/5/09
Human Rights Coalition 5125 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA15224
June 18, 2009
From:
HRC
5125 Penn Avenue
Pittsubrgh, PA 15224
To:
Superintendent Coleman
LaBelle, PA15450
OPR-Director James Barnacle & DOC Secretary Beard
2520 Lisburn Road
Camp Hill, PA, 17001
This letter is being written to you and sent to the Governor's office in a state of urgency. Anthony Singleton (#CW8923), currently confined at SCI Fayette, who has been in correspondence with our agency for a number of months has reported a severe deterioration in his psychological state. In the past two weeks he has reported explicit suicidal urges, accompanied by actual self- mutilation (cutting himself, the location and extent of such left unspecified).
Furthermore, he has been experiencing visual and auditory hallucinations of a former prisoner, referred to as "Juda," whom died by hanging at SCI Fayette during Mr. Singleton's last stint at the prison, while he was in the LTSU. Mr. Singleton claims he attempted to discuss his eyewitness observations into the context and circumstances in this matter with the state police and has been subjected to severe retaliation ever since.
It is absolutely unfathomable that Mr. Singleton could have just happened to be returned to SCI Fayette given this history. It is not credible that DOC officials monitoring his conditions of confinement and signing off on transfer orders were unaware of his past allegations against SCI Fayette personnel regarding this and other incidents. It is absolutely unconscionable that a prisoner with a documented history of attempted suicide and psychological trauma would be placed in such a precarious environment, all but guaranteeing the potentially lethal deterioration in his psychological state reported to multiple family members and outside agencies.
And just last week we received anonymous reports of guards subjecting Mr. Singleton to harassment, giving his commissary to another prisoner and encouraging another to murder Mr. Singleton.
We are gathering the reports and attendant documentation in this matter, including identification of offending RHU staff and papers related to his prior reports to the Governor's office while at SCI Dallas and information pertaining to his medical records. This letter is being sent out prior to the collation and summation of this documentation as an expression of the urgency of the situation. Mr. Singleton needs to be removed from SCI Fayette immediately and sent to a facility where he will receive necessary psychological treatment.
Mr. Barnacle I am asking you that this situation be investigated with the utmost thoroughness, including interviews with Mr. Singleton and all others confined nearby, with a witness statement produced and made public for each interview.
This letter is not to express our belief or disbelief in the veracity of Mr. Singleton's claims regarding alleged DOC misconduct. It is to express our concern over his health and life and request that adequate precautions be taken so as to ensure both. The letter is also being sent to create a record of prior notice at the highest levels of Mr. Singleton's circumstances in the unfortunate event that an easily preventable tragedy occurs.
Mr. Singleton's life, health, safety, and sanity are in your collective hands. Please act to avert a tragedy.
Respectfully Submitted,
Bret Grote
HRC
cc
Babette Josephs
Ron Waters
Ed Rendell
Anthony Singleton
HRC-Accountability Council