Letter from Attorney Margaret Gondleman Gold to Warden J.C. Prevatt

16 November 2000

Warden J.C. Prevatt
Okeechobee Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 1984
Okeechobee, Florida  34973-1984

            Re: Ronald C. Ashcraft, #489677  D21228

Dear Warden Prevatt:

This letter is to alert you to present life threatening circumstances involving my client, Mr. Ashcraft, and to consequences that would involve you if action is not taken to remove these threats and dangers to my client.

As you must be well aware from your prison files on Mr. Ashcraft, in 1984 he witnessed the death of a prison inmate at the hands of prison staff at the DOC Reception and Medical Center at Lake Butler, Florida.  At that time, an officer at the Center threatened Mr. Ashcraft's life if he should tell what he had seen.  Since that time, Mr. Ashcraft has experienced abuse at times in medical facilities of the DOC and by guards, as a result of his legal actions to get this prison killing into the federal courts.  There is a 16-year history and record of abuse of Mr. Ashcraft by DOC medical, guard and administrative staff.

There is a new, specific death threat against Mr. Ashcraft which I am bringing to your attention.  For more than five months, guard Officer Coleman (an African-American on the 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. shift) has been harassing my client, going out of his way to make trouble in circumstances where no problem existed, and attempting to isolate Mr. Ashcraft from his friends and to put Mr. Ashcraft into solitary confinement.

On August 21, 2000, as Mr. Ashcraft was returning to his building after a visit to the barber shop, Officer Coleman stopped Mr. Ashcraft and told Mr. Ashcraft, "You're a dead man, Ashcraft.  You're a dead man walking."  After which, Officer Coleman went into Mr. Ashcraft's unit and went to several cells, whispering to inmates and pointing in Mr. Ashcraft's direction.  This may have been one of several efforts by Officer Coleman to intimidate inmates from maintaining contact with Mr. Ashcraft.

On September 25, at about 11:00 a.m., Officer Coleman called out several inmates, including Mr. Ashcraft.  He yelled at mr. Ashcraft, saying that Mr. Ashcraft had "beaten" him twice (by avoiding Coleman's efforts to get Mr. Ashcraft into confinement) and that that would not happen again.  According to an affidavit from another prisoner, Officer Coleman said to Mr. Ashcraft, "I'm going to lock your ass up if it's the last thing I do"; and "You beat me twice already, but I swear on a stack of Bibles, no matter what it takes, you won't beat me again," and "If it's the last thing I do, I'll get you in confinement."  The affidavit also states that "Officer Coleman is well known...for beating prisoners in confinement."

My client is 52 years old, has a long history of epilectic seizures, has recently had several minor strokes, experienced frequent anginas, and had angioplasty on May 30, 2000.  At his age and in his physical condition, any rough treatment - let alone an intentional, brutal beating - could kill Ronald Ashcraft.  Officer Coleman's threats against Mr. Ashcraft constitute a clear and present danger to Mr. Ashcraft's life.

In recent weeks, Officer Dennis (an African-American guard on the 2p.m. to 10 p.m. shift) has verbally harrassed Mr. Ashcraft, asserting that Mr. Ashcraft's "day" was coming.  On November 6, after supper, Officer Dennis called Mr. Ashcraft out and gave Mr. Ashcraft a DC4835 violation form which states, "I/M was smoking on the north side of the compound.  As Officer Dennis handed the form to Mr. Ashcraft, he said, "Two more, Ashcraft."  Three "corrective consultations" merit a disciplinary report and confinement; and confinement where Officer Coleman can get him alone is Mr. Ashcraft's major fear - and, under the circumstances, a very legitimate fear.

By this letter, I am asking that you separate Mr. Ashcraft and Officers Coleman and Dennis immedicately, whether that means transferring Mr. Ashcraft to another prison or Officers Coleman and Dennis to other assignments where they have no contact with or authority over Mr. Ashcraft, and that you ensure that Mr. Ashcraft gets the medical assistance that he needs to maintain health and life.

If you fail to take prompt and effective means to protect the life of Mr. Ashcraft from this specific death threat from Officers Coleman and Dennis or from more subtle actions to terminate his life by medical mistreatment, you may be held personally responsible in a wrongful death action under 42 U.S.C. 1983.  I hope you will take the necessary prompt action to save Mr. Ashcraft's life and health and to avoid the embarrassment and waste involved in a wrongful death action.

Similar letters on this subject are being sent to Secretary Michael Moore; Linda Keene, Director, Correctional Medical Authority; the Chairmen of the appropriate Florida House and Senate Committees, and the DOC Inspector General.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

____________
Margaret Gondleman Gold

cc:  Bob Burns, Prisoner Services Coordinator
      The Aleph Institute, Surfside, Florida

     Sid Kleiner, Jewish Prisoner Services International
     Naples, Florida

    A.C.L.U., Miami

REPRESSIVE PRISON DISCIPLINE

Letter from Attorney Margaret Gondleman Gold to Warden J.C. Prevatt

Letter from Warden Prevatt to Attorney Gold

Letter from Attorney Gold to Michael Moore

Letter from Mr. Rexford Tweed to Attorney Gold

Letter from Marta Villacorta, Reg. Dir. of Institutions to Rexford Tweed

Mr. Tweed's Grievance against Officer A. Coleman

Mr. Tweed's Grievance to see an Inspector

Sid Kleiner's Letter to the Media

Ronald Ashcraft

Okeechobee CI

Prison Index