Update: More Virginia model examples of decades of failure. Today is February 23, 2026. We have more updates from inside the Virginia Department of Correction. And it must be said, the destruction being perpetrated by this failure of an institution is beyond depressing. Recently, a captive was put on “suicide watch,” so-called. This is where a captive is stripped naked and forced to wear a packing blanket — gross, sexual assault and horrific humiliation. Word is that he has stated, “Now I have an actual plan.” No surprise, giving the obvious negative impact this has on a person’s well being. It also comes with ridicule and jives from the Virginia DOC staff during 48-72 hours of a literal form of torture. I’ve actually been through this twice early in my unlawful incarceration. I was not suicidal before I was put through that trauma, and I don’t think a day has gone by since that I have not considered hurting myself. Most of those put through this trauma will tell you the same.
Also, captives are not getting proper medical care as usual. We know that medication renewal lapses are leading to dangerous and near lethal situations; captives forced to endure unnecessary pain. I include myself in that specific cohort with chronic pain, among other similar issues, such as blood pressure meds, psych meds, etc. Citizens of Virginia, your family members, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters are in real danger as a result of openly delivered indifference to medical needs. 1.5 billion in annual tax dollars wasted on a Virginia eugenics program. And yes, that is exactly what the Virginia DOC is.
The environments here are mold ridden and unhealthy. Respiratory illness is recurring every five to six weeks. As a result, matters are made worse as a result of the excessive misuse of chemical disinfectants and clear cases of institutionally created hypochondria. This is a petri dish for super bugs and a poorly nourished population of captives to incubate inside of — well done Virginia. The unit manager of building 4, of Haynesville, is now interfering with prisoners washing their clothes, putting up some weird sort of schedule, excluding Sundays, supposedly at the behest of the warden. It’s worth noting that this reporter has evidence of the same unit manager issuing false institutional infractions as retaliation, and the forced signing of an illegal contract by a prisoner. This is what admins are concerned with, even as dozens of captives openly smoke the drug ‘spice’ as guards blatantly look the other way and often supply the drugs.
Haynesville, like the Virginia DOC’s 36 other fraise prisons is a failed institution. It is entirely plausible and likely that massive embezzlement is among the legitimate allegations that explain, at least in part, how so many resources and tax dollars are squandered as so little is ever accomplished. Add to the corruption, severe mismanagement, dysfunction, and an open frightening attitude of disdain towards truth, justice, and especially directed towards the unalienable constitution and human rights of those held captive, and no one can expect any good to be accomplished.
It doesn’t stop the Virginia DOC from repeatedly misinforming the public about what it does. There is rarely an honest statement from Virginia DOC staff given to Virginia citizens. The statistics it cites are skewed. Its programs are decades out of date, and its assessments are deliberately incomplete. For example, its course assessments, which use only about 25 questions from the middle of a 100 question assessment test, avoiding the results. So, while the new governor Abigail Spanberger is wasting time and dollars rebutting the State of the Union speech for good or ill, the state she provides over is a disgrace and a societal failure — something to think about. My name is David Annarelli. I’m a contributing writer with Prison Journalism Project, davidannarelli.wordpress.com. You can find me on Instagram. You can Google me for more. Thank you very much.
These commentaries are recorded by Prison Radio.
