Solitary Confinement Reform In Virginia Is All Talk and The Vera Institute Is Being Duped By William Thorpe

$2.2 million and an association with the social good of correcting governmental barbarism is a reality few will resist and the Vera Institute of Justice can be understood but not excused for succumbing to its opportunity.  As a tool in the employ of Prison Officials, Solitary Confinement or Administrative Segregative, it's current euphemism has long since been understood as barbaric.  The U.S. Supreme Court in 1870 in it's in Re: Medley Ruling indicted its practice and excoriated its use.

For over a hundred years critics of the practice of imposing Solitary Confinement on prisoners have railed against it and only during the Obama Presidency did the criticism gain traction. Nonetheless, practioners,  proponents, and defenders of its barbaric use have as all reactionaries responded with deflection.  whether it's with euphemism or and as with the case with the Virginia Department of Corrections [VADOC], exploiting affliction with NGO i.e. The Vera Institute of Justice     The intent is to maintain the practice and use of Solitary Confinement.

VADOC has been playing a three card monte, a shell game of musical chairs, that old tired sleight of hand, two step shuffle of reactionary deceit while maintaining the practice of Solitary Confinement.  Despite press release after press release that it has reformed its use of Solitary Confinement at it's primary prison, Red Onion State Prison [ROSP] and other illegitimate claims concerning prisoner complaints and grievances, that purport to indicate operational ethics and management efficiency, the practice of Solitary Confinement and it's use at ROSP is maximum.

After securing recognition from the U.S. Department of Justice, the Council of State Governments, Southern Legislative Conference and others, all of whom have their relative self interest, that VADOC's euphemistic scheme touting Solitary Confinement reform has dramatically reduced it's use at ROSP. VADOC has recently secured alliance with the Vera Institute of Justice to anoint it's "Solitary Confinement Reform" claims.  It is easy to understand the eagerness of Vera Institute, considering it is receiving $2.2 million from the U.S. Department of Justice, to attest in that idealistic usual congratulatory manner that VADOC is progressive.  While turning a blind eye to the reality ongoing at ROSP Solitary Confinement.

What Solitary Confinement reform looks like are: the headlines coming out of California with it's  Ashker v. California settlement.

The almost daily news out of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3d circuit of the release from Solitary Confinement of prisoners confined for 29, 22,37 years to list a few.

Virginia on the other hand, despite having it's share of prisoners in Solitary Confinement for 21 years and counting is conspicuously absent from the roll call of Solitary Confinement reformers and no amount of NGO affiliations and it's dupe of the Vera Institute can deflect and distort the fact that Solitary confinement  reform is all talk in  Virginia.

By William Thorpe and I've been in Solitary Confinement in VADOC since 1996 and at ROSP since 1998

RED ONION STATE PRISON SUICIDE POLICY: OC PEPPER GAS THE PRISONER

Red Onion State Prison [ROSP] Suicide Prevention Policy  (*NOTE* page 17 in VADOC policy and procedure 730.4/5) seems to be in practice: OC Pepper Gas the Suicidal Prisoner while the Prisoner is hanging with sheet around the neck, before prison guards in riot gear enter the cell to cut the Prisoner down. Don't forget the time it takes to put on the riot gear.

On 2/19/17; @ Approx. 4:30 a.m. a Prisoner detained in ROSP C-Building #106 [Solitary Confinement] [who wants to remain anonymous] was hanging himself and the ranking officer in charge [OIC] authorized the OC Pepper Gassing of the hanging Prisoner before guards entered the cell to cut the Prisoner down.

OC Pepper Gas is a debilitating toxin that causes a gag reflex which one would which one would think is the last thing a potential hanging victim should be subjected to.

ROSP, Solitary Confinement Unit, C-Building has had at least 2 suicides over the past 2 1/2 years as well as others over the compound since its opening in 1998, (Its sister prison Wallens Ridge State Prison [WRSP] has had a few of its own as well since it's opening in 1999). Why are Prisoners dying and attempting to kill themselves at ROSP Solitary Confinement?

By vapac

*NOTE* vapac affirms https://www.facebook.com/groups/vapacommittee/?ref=group_cover Every day someone dies of suicide, A link to the facts: http://bit.ly/2mKSqgm, 43,000 Americans per year and our imprisoned loved ones be not excluded. To our members who have loved ones on the inside, be aware of some of the warning signs and know their Rights While they are In Prison/Jail, the following link provides us with some legal Rights to advocate on behalf of our imprisoned loved ones be they need it, these are also the people we contact when there is suspicion of VADOC abuse and violations against our imprisoned Mentally Ill: 
Criminal Justice Self-Advocacy

Frequently Asked Questions: http://bit.ly/2n4POGD in Virginia. The NAMI [National Alliance on Mental Illness]
NAMI Virginia’s Information Line And Email
Phone: (804) 285-8264 (not a crisis line)
Email Address: info@namivirginia.org
PO Box 8260
Richmond, VA 23226-0260

Crisis Lines:
NAMI Virginia Area Crisis Line
Crisis Line: 1 (888) 486-8264
NAMI’s National Information Helpline
(800) 950-NAMI

References & Related articles
VADOC Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) Aerosol Spray http://bit.ly/2mXovkr

• You can think "Inside the Box" with solitary confinement exhibit
• Facebook testing AI for suicide prevention tools

Virginia Republicans Are Right On Ousting Virginia's State Inspector General June W. Jennings

The Republican-led Virginia's House of Delegates Recently ambushed Governor Terry McAuliffe by voting not to reinstate his appointee, Virginia's Inspector General June W. Jennings and vapac supports the Republican move to oust June Jennings.

During the tenure of State Inspector June Jennings, there have been a number of Prisoner deaths at Virginia's jails and prisons, specifically Red Onion State Prison [ROSP]. But more systemically are the food violations at ROSP, from its Food Service through prison guard malfeasance and misconduct to mistreatment of its mental health prisoners.

Inspector General June Jennings has received numerous letters from prisoners at ROSP highlighting Virginia Department of Corrections [VADOC] policy and procedure violations by prison officials.  To which June Jennings has relatively ignored because "vapac" continues to receive complaints that the malfeasance and officer misconduct continues.

Vapac urges the office of State Inspector General to administer oversight ensuring that there is accountability and transparency in Virginia prisons. That prison officials manage Virginia prisons by complying with U.S. Virginia law and VADOC procedures.

By vapac
*NOTE* By clicking on the right-hand Pop-Out option or at the end of this hand written letter you can tap on the zoom in/fit page option to get a clearer/darker view of a letter sent to June Jennings, by the way, there was never a response or acknowledgment by her or her department of receipt of this letter