by John Reid

Earlier this month, the PW Perspective reported on a petition by Concerned Citizens and Community Action Network to address reported incidents at Virginia’s Red Onion State Prison. Today, the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus issued a statement on the atrocities:

“The VLBC is horrified at recent reports of incarcerated individuals setting themselves on fire in response to the degrading and inhumane conditions at Red Onion State Supermax Prison in Wise County, Virginia. These acts of self-immolation are desperate cries for help from at least twelve Black men, since September 15, who allege systemic abuse, neglect, and blatant human rights violations.

A recorded account from a conversation with one inmate states: “He told me simply that the racism, the horrid and inhumane conditions at the prison, were so intolerable that he and others were setting themselves on fire in desperate attempts to get transferred. These were not protests, he made clear, but acts of desperation hoping to get out of an insufferable situation.”

People who have been incarcerated at Red Onion State Prison describe being regularly subjected to racial and physical abuse from correctional officers, medical neglect including the withholding of medicine, excessive stays in solitary confinement with one report of 600 consecutive days, inedible food having been covered in maggots and officers’ spit, and violent dog attacks. It is extremely concerning that there have been reports of increased abuse, harassment and intimidation after inmates have spoken publicly about their living conditions. This is not only a clear violation of human rights standards, it is a violation of our commitment to human dignity and any principles of morality by which civilized society purports to abide.

These repeated and tragic self-immolation attempts, and accompanying hunger strikes, reflect the psychological and physical toll that gruesome prison conditions can have on incarcerated individuals. When the state takes people into custody, it accepts responsibility for their health and safety. Failure to uphold this obligation betrays both the humanity of those incarcerated and the ultimate hope that those in our prison system rehabilitate themselves and return as productive, safe members of society. The cost is the destruction of sons, brothers, and fathers, shouldered by taxpayers and disguised as enforcement of the law.

The Governor and VADOC Director, Chadwick Dotson, have an obligation to launch an independent investigation into allegations of abuse and mistreatment at Red Onion and any correctional facility with similar complaints, especially where such incidents result in  unconscionable tragedies under their supervision. Immediate action must be taken by Attorney General Jason Miyares, the newly formed Office of the Department of Corrections Ombudsman, and Virginia Corrections Oversight Committee. If they find that there is misconduct, those responsible must be held liable and removed as employees of the state. Accountability necessitates full public transparency into the findings of these investigations. Ongoing reports tell us that — not exclusive to Red Onion State Prison — but in all of Virginia’s correctional institutions, something is horribly wrong.

The reality that these individuals felt there was no other avenue to have their claims taken seriously, investigated, and remedied is a grave indictment of the Commonwealth of Virginia and reminds us of the urgent need for comprehensive prison reform. This year, the General Assembly passed a bill to regulate the number of consecutive days incarcerated individuals can be made to endure solitary confinement, and Governor Youngkin vetoed it. We urge him to reconsider this and other reform bills which we will send to his desk in 2025.

The VLBC remains committed to extensive criminal justice reform that will lead to a safer world for every individual across our Commonwealth. We call on all members of the legislature, press and public to unite in solidarity with incarcerated individuals and their families against inhumane conditions in Virginia’s prisons, including Red Onion State Prison, until Governor Youngkin and his administration awaken their humanity.”