Chadwick Dotson, director of the Virginia Department of Corrections, stated that the inmates burned themselves using improvised devices created by tampering with electrical outlets, asserting that reports claiming these actions were protests against poor conditions were exaggerated.
Dotson emphasized that while several inmates were treated for burns at a hospital, the incidents were not instances of self-immolation, and all six individuals had a history of engaging in self-harm.
Following the media coverage of the burnings, there has been a renewed call by several state lawmakers for an independent investigation into the conditions at Red Onion State Prison.
Prison Radio highlighted the cases of the burnings in October, bringing attention to the broader issues faced by incarcerated individuals and the treatment they receive.
#prison-conditions #inmate-self-harm #virginia-corrections #mental-health #independent-investigation
Collection
[
|
...
]