Injustice Experienced By Ronald Chase In Rhode Island
Injustice Experienced By Ronald Chase [Jumal Rashaàn] In Rhode Island

When The State Or Prison Wants To Get Someone, Anyone Can Become A Pawn. Is That What Happened In This Complaint?

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Note: A warning to all reading this complaint. Recommendations made by the Court to the prison regarding anything related to an incarceration are just that, recommendations. They are NOT mandates and the prison has the option of implementing these recommendations. Many times, those facing incarceration are led to believe court recommendations are mandates or orders for the prison to follow when they are not.

Someone trying to get some background on this complaint or unfamiliar with Craig Price and why the state and prison would understandably have a "get Craig Price" agenda as mentioned herein - Read this short summary. Even former President Clinton voiced objections to a Craig Price release. Read the complete Craig Price story.

Complaint One

Case State v Chase 99-006589 alleging violations of A-P2/95-2766 and B-P2/92-2282. On March 29, 1999 Judge Pfeiffer imposed a sentence of nine months on Ronald Chase [also known as Jumal Rashaàn] due to a non-plea of domestic assault. The sentence was recommended to be served out of state based on US Supreme Court case Farmer v Brennan, 511 US 128 L.Ed 2d 811.

The reason for the out of state recommendation was Atty. Joel S. Chase [unrelated to Ronald Chase] who represents inmate Jeffrey S. Hornoff filed a brief with the RI Supreme Court on or about March 10, 1999. This brief alleged Ronald Chase gave a taped interview saying that inmate Craig Price, not Jeffrey Hornoff, killed Victoria Cushman who Hornoff was [afterwards proved falsely] convicted of killing. [Note the REAL killer of Victoria Cushman has confessed to the crime] On March 10 and 11 of 1999, the Prov. Journal and local television stations publicized Ronald Chase's name as an informer against Craig Price. Ronald Chase asserts, and the RI court agreed, that Atty. Chase's brief and the media attention it received created or could create a life threatening situation for Mr. Chase at the ACI. Ronald Chase asserts the following regarding this alleged taped interview used by Atty. Chase:

  • Ronald Chase took a polygraph test which proved beyond question that the allegations made by Atty. Chase were suspect.
  • Atty. Chase knew or should have known the results of this polygraph prior to presenting his brief to the RI Supreme Court.
  • Ronald Chase denies that this so called taped interview was ever legally sound. The interviewer turned the tape on and off to create the deception that Ronald Chase's statements fit into the state's "get Craig Price" agenda. The interviewer and Inspector John Lopez from the Department of Corrections Special Investigation Unit [CSIU], who is supposed to investigate wrongdoing at the ACI, were notified of this deceptive interview conducted on Ronald Chase.
  • Ronald Chase asserts he was forced to listen to a tape of a conversation the ACI interviewer said he was involved in with Craig Price at the High Security Center. Ronald Chase asserts he NEVER heard Craig Price say anything of substance. Ronald Chase asserts the first time he heard of this conversation was when the CSIU played the tape to him.

Ronald Chase further asserts the following:

  • His refusal to lie and cooperate with the Dept. Of Corrections' "get Craig Price" agenda has created serious, life threatening problems for him.
  • The DOC Classification board has classified Mr. Chase as "Maximum Security" knowing full well Ronald Chase was incorrectly mentioned in the media as an informant against Craig Price.
  • ACI Director, George Vose, is trying to find a "legal loophole" which will allow the ACI to place Mr. Chase in an area of the prison where his life will be in danger as punishment for his lack of cooperation in testifying falsely against Craig Price. Mr. O'Conner from the CSIU is supposed to make a report to Mr. Vose as to whether Mr. Chase's life is at risk.
  • Mr. Chase has filed other actions in Federal Court against the ACI. Cases 98-0453 and 98-336T.
  • Department Of Corrections employees continue to retaliate against Mr. Chase, threaten him daily, deny him basis requests at every turn and verbally abuse him.
  • CSIU Inspector John Lopez has turned a deaf ear and has done nothing to protect Mr. Chase's rights.

Ronald Chase maintains he will continue to refuse to testify falsely against Craig Price or to cooperate with the ACI's "get Craig Price" agenda.
Caught.net also received threats related to this published complaint. The threats were emailed via an anonymous internet email service. The wording of the threats strongly suggest they were sent by ACI staff with comments like, "You better hope none of you **cking guys end up here or you're **cking dead" and "This guy Chase is a **cking piece of shit" and "if you knew this sonofabitch you would never publish this." Other threats and incidents happened related to this complaint. The results of the actions taken cannot be discussed.

Update

Mr. Chase asserts in a written document received in February of 2001 that the state harassed him for blowing the whistle and filing complaints regarding the above. Mr. Chase asserts the state said they considered him a "credibility problem and not to be trusted because he [Chase] never tried to contact them and let them know what was on the Caught.net website." Consequently the state proceeded with a vengeance in violation hearings resulting in an 18 month sentence. Due to Farmer v. Brennan, 114 S. Ct. 1970, the judge recommended he serve time out of state. Mr. Chase was transferred to Connecticut in September 1999 and shortly thereafter [Oct. 11, 1999] he was released from the sentence.

Mr. Chase was returned to the prison on a later charge on Nov. 16, 1999. The Judge again recommended he serve out of state. Despite this, the DOC sent Mr. Chase to maximum security ignoring the dangers to his life due to the issues mentioned in this complaint. Caught.net also spoke to a prior cell mate of Mr. Chase some time ago who told Caught that Mr. Chase was "suffering some VERY serious consequences" from the Department Of Corrections and the system due to his outspokenness and related issues.