Prison considered charging inmates who burned themselves in protest for 'intolerable' conditions

Main Idea: Staff at Red Onion State Prison in Virginia considered making inmates pay for medical care after prisoners burned themselves in protest of harsh conditions, while the ACLU of Virginia continues to challenge the prison’s use of long-term isolation.

Key Points:

• Emails show prison staff discussed charging inmates “thousands of dollars” for hospital treatment after six people set themselves on fire or otherwise burned themselves.
• The inmates said they acted because of harsh treatment, including long stays in isolation, poor medical care, and alleged abuse by officers.
• The Virginia Department of Corrections said restitution is allowed under policy, but it said senior leadership never considered it and no such penalty was used.
• The ACLU of Virginia says Red Onion’s housing system amounts to long-term solitary confinement, and state officials have now opened an investigation into the prison’s conditions.