Immediate Action Required to Shut Down Red Onion State Prison By Kimberly Zittlow

 

*Pictures are taken from the internet and are used for illustrative purposes only.

Governor Glenn Youngkin,

The conditions at Red Onion State Prison are a blatant violation of basic human rights, and your administration can no longer ignore them. For years, this facility has been a symbol of systemic abuse, inhumane treatment, and psychological torture. I urge you to take immediate action to shut down this facility. If swift changes aren’t made, these issues will need to be reported to national media outlets and federal authorities to expose the horrific conditions being forced upon the inmates at Red Onion.

The inhumane treatment at this facility is well-documented. Inmates are subjected to prolonged solitary confinement, often confined to small, dark cells for 23 hours a day with almost no human contact. This extreme isolation, compounded by a lack of adequate mental health care, is devastating. There are numerous recent accounts of inmates driven to desperate measures, including self-harm and even setting themselves on fire, in an attempt to escape the physical and psychological torment

The facility’s issues extend beyond psychological abuse. The physical mistreatment of inmates is rampant, with guards frequently using painful restraint techniques—bending fingers, twisting limbs, and even withholding basic necessities. These actions are designed to break the spirit of those incarcerated, turning Red Onion into a factory of suffering rather than a place of rehabilitation..

Additionally, the so-called "Step-Down" program at Red Onion is nothing more than a sham. Inmates are frequently reclassified and sent back to solitary confinement for arbitrary or minor infractions, forcing them to restart the program from scratch. This endless cycle traps inmates, leaving them no real path to reintegration and perpetuating the system of mental torture.

One of the most heartbreaking issues is the treatment of inmates in the Restorative Housing Unit (RHU). These men are routinely served small portions of inedible, substandard food, leaving them hungry and malnourished. It is a disgrace that in a nation as wealthy as ours, people are being starved behind bars. This is not just poor treatment; it is cruel, inhumane, and a violation of basic human decency.

Governor Youngkin, this cannot continue. The conditions at Red Onion State Prison are a stain on Virginia’s moral compass. If you fail to take decisive action, these issues will inevitably be brought to the national stage. Major media networks, human rights organizations, and the Department of Justice will be informed in order to shed light on the ugly truth. The stories of abuse, mistreatment, and deliberate cruelty need to be heard, and they will demand justice.

It is your responsibility to ensure that no one, regardless of their circumstances, is subjected to the level of suffering consistently being reported at the Red Onion. The facility must be shut down, and an independent investigation launched to fully expose and address the systemic abuse within its walls. Anything less would be a gross dereliction of your duty to protect the rights and dignity of all individuals.

I urge you to act immediately, Governor. The world is watching, and the inmates at Red Onion are waiting for someone to recognize their humanity.

--

Sincerely,

Kimberly Zittlow