Hello. My name is David Annarelli, contributing reporter for the Prison Journalism Project. Today is June 3. This is the Virginia DOC [Department of Corrections] Continued Abuse. In a story that becomes repeatedly, increasingly tiresome, we once more report staff abuses in the Virginia Department of Corrections. As a national statistic, 70% of prison guards show red flag signs of sociopathic tendencies at a level that would cause any therapist to seriously consider whether or not they should breach confidentiality to report a patient as a matter of public safety and the public good. In Virginia, as is almost always the case, that statistic is troubling because it is markedly higher. The Virginia DOC has a long documented history of hiring the lowest quality of character guards, as has become widely known thanks to reports from Red Onion, Wallens Ridge, Pocahontas, and Green Rock Correctional Centers, just to name a few. So it will be no surprise to anyone that we report from Lawrenceville, where numerous DOC officials, including director of DOC, Chadwick Dotson, have repeatedly claimed they were turning over a new leaf and doing things differently.
Apparently, that is excepting the hiring of decent guards. Sergeant Alexander is well known as a major problem, so much so that he actually sticks out where so many of the Lawrenceville staff are nothing but abusive problems in some manner or another. His refusal to abide operating procedures, over-inflated sense of authority, terrible attitude, and constant verbal abuse, are among the issues. He has been written up and reported numerous times by various captives, and allegedly, even by coworkers. This led to his being put into positions where his interactions with captives was limited, most recently as a transportation officer moving captives to and from medical appointments. It turns out this was a bad decision.
Several days ago, Sergeant Alexander was on a transport. He chained, cuffed, and shackled the captive so tightly, and with deliberate malintent, that severe bruising occurred. Allegedly, this captive filed a report, an emergency grievance, and investigations were conducted at the Lawrenceville compound. It is even alleged that Assistant Warden, Amber Lee, witnessed these injuries. To date, there has been no repercussions or accountability for Sergeant Alexander, as is the modus operandi of the Virginia DOC staff, this abusive guard was put to work in another building, number 60, on the same compound. He wasn’t transferred, and he was certainly not fired and made to face charges of any kind. One law for we, and another for thee. To that point, Virginians, and indeed Americans everywhere, should pay close attention to reports such as this, for the Kings men have always been allowed to behave poorly and abuse those they believe to be under them, and it is spreading from this state to every small and large town in the land. Thank you. Again, my name is David Annarelli, davidannarelli.wordpress.com, can find me on Instagram @david_annarelli. I’m a contributing writer for Prison Journalism Project, and have a good day.
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