>>Many Demanding Independent Investigation into Allegations of Abuse and Mistreatment at Red Onion Prison
(Pound, VA) -- Black prisoners at Red Onion State Prison in Wise County reportedly set themselves on fire in response to alleged torture and abuse. Thomas Cage reports.Preview: Voicer Script:
Journalist and prisoner Kevin Rashid Johnson described the desperate conditions that led to the self-immolation incidents, including denial of critical medical care, severe beatings, and solitary confinement for up to 15 years. The prison officials initially denied the events but later admitted that four men had suffered burns, attributing them to electrical burns rather than self-immolation. Tuesday, WRIC reports the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus released a statement condemning alleged “inhumane conditions” and Governor Youngkin says officials were working to understand the situation better.