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| Hunger strike at Red Onion prison has ended |
| By washingtonpost.com - Anita Kumar |
| Published: 05/29/2012 |
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State officials say a hunger strike at Virginia’s only super-maximum prison has ended. About four dozen prisoners began a hunger strike last Tuesday morning, demanding an end to what they call poor conditions, ongoing abuse and the practice of solitary confinement, according to attorneys and groups that represent the inmates. But Department of Corrections Director Harold Clarke said only 15 prisoners had refused their morning meal Tuesday at Red Onion State Prison. And by Saturday afternoon, officials say, that number was zero. Clarke said the state does not consider the situation a hunger strike unless an inmate misses nine consecutive meals or declares he is on strike verbally or in writing. Once a strike is confirmed, medical staff begin monitoring. Nearly 500 inmates at Red Onion spend 23 hours a day in a cell, don’t shower daily and have limited recreation. Some prisoners, including those with mental illnesses, have been kept in isolation for years, inmates and lawyers say. State officials said in March that they would implement sweeping changes to Red Onion this year as part of Gov. Robert F. McDonnell’s four-year plan to help prisoners reenter society. But the inmates say changes are not coming quickly enough. Read More. |
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