Hunger Strike at Red Onion Prison Continues; Rashid Johnson Continues Fight

Hunger strike at Red Onion prison in so-called Virginia continues. For more information, go here.

Update from Rashid’s support committee, dated January 16th:

I was able to speak to Rashid and actually hear his voice today. There are roughly thirty or more prisoners who are striking now.  He’s missed 63 meals and lost close to 30 lbs since 12/26/2023 when the strike began but he’s determined to keep this up until he is released from solitary and transferred out of Red Onion. He was happy and encouraged to hear about all of the support he and the other strikers are receiving out here.

He needs to be moved somewhere near a major medical facility so that he can resume treatment for his health conditions. He is asking that calls and emails continue to be made to the VADOC and to Gov. Youngkin’s office. If you could make calls on Thursday that would be greatly appreciated. Perhaps, we could all really push to make a deluge of calls on that day as well to overwhelm VADOC and show them just how many people are paying attention to what they are allowing to take place there at ROSP.

Update from Rashid’s support committee, dated January 15th:

I heard from Rashid this afternoon and he has asked me to pass along this info. He was rushed to the emergency room on 01/04/2024 and is still in the medical wing of Red Onion. It is unclear what occurred prior to his being taken out to the hospital or what treatment he may have received while there. He was shouting all of this information through a vent while a third party relayed it into the phone to me. He asks that calls and emails continue to happen to the VADOC and Governer’s office pushing for a transfer back to anywhere that has a medical center that can address his health concerns.

I actually called Red Onion today to check to see what they would tell me about his current condition since Rashid has signed a release of information listing me as his point of contact. I spoke with an Officer Vilbrandt who pretended that he did not know of Rashid or that he is currently on a hunger strike. He then told me that he would not tell me anything about Rashid or his condition. When I gave him my name and told him that Rashid had signed paperwork granting ROSP to release information to me, he told me that I would need to speak with the warden’s secretary who would not be back in the office until Wednesday, 01.17.2024. I plan to call back on this date and will update everyone then.

Please keep calling and emailing the VA Department of Corrections and the governor’s office. I can’t stress enough how important this is. Thank you all!

During the strike, it is being asked that supporters contact the Virginia Department of Corrections as well as the governor of VA to demand an end to this controversial practice. We also need to let them know that the hunger strikers have our full support. The contact info is as follows:

VADOC: Central Administration; USPS P.O. Box 26963; Richmond, VA 23261

David Robinson Phone: 804-887-8078, Email: [email protected]

Virginia DOC Director, Chadwick S Dotson, Phone: (804) 674-3081 Email: [email protected]

VADOC Central Administration

Rose L. Durbin, Phone: 804-887-7921, Email: [email protected]

Beth Cabell, Division of Institutions

Phone: 804-834-9967 Email: [email protected]

Gov. Glenn Youngkin

Phone: 804-786-2211 Email:[email protected]

Photo by Lars Dunker on Unsplash