Red Onion Supermax report
I am an inmate at Red Onion State Prison. This camp is the state of Virginia’s only super maximum security prison. Myself and others go thru all the difficulties every day here that are listed on your “Unlock the Box research.” Red Onion Prison is located in the southwest region of Virginia. Honestly, this region itself is redneck region. Some of the locals haven’t seen nor had to actually deal with any persons of color til this concentration camp opened.
I’ve been placed at this camp since Nov. 7th, 2006. There are roughly 1500 persons here, some pods hold 22 or 44 persons to a single cell. There are 2 pods that hold 22 cells that are two man cells, these cells (pods) are called progressive housing. These are supposed to be special privilege pods. Everyone has to go into these pods (phases) before transferring. You also have to be 2-3 years charge-free before you can even enter one of these “special privilege pods,” and the inmates in these “special pods” still remain on 23-1 lockdown with no programs available or trades. These “special privilege pods” are the same as the super segregation pods, except that someone is in the cell with you.
This camp has been open since 1998 and has more than 100 lawsuits against it. Some are still pending. The national make up is 90% Black, 4-5% whites, and the rest others. When this camp first opened its gates it was all general population, then in 2001 or 2002 it was turned into supermax segregation supposedly for the “worst of the worst.” Some guys are here because of stacked minor charges, others have been here since it was turned over to supermax and the powers that be refuse to release them, and then those as myself have more serious charges. The majority are held here for stacked minor offenses.
There isn’t a college we can correspond with for further education. There is a half-ass GED/school program that’s shown on our TV. The issue with the school is that some people don’t have tv’s.
The camp hasn’t expanded since it opened, only turned into segregation units.
