Summary

Inmates at Virginia’s Red Onion State Prison set themselves on fire in 2024 to protest alleged abuse, solitary confinement, and lack of medical care.

Emails reveal prison staff discussed charging the inmates for their medical treatment and prosecuting them for arson.

Advocacy groups and former inmates have long criticized the prison for excessive solitary confinement, abuse, and retaliation.

The Virginia Department of Corrections denies wrongdoing but faces lawsuits and a pending ombudsman investigation into prison conditions.