Urgent Action: Rashid Johnson in Solitary

Dear Friend,

On May 1st, Rashid was was flown to South Carolina where he had his wrists tied to his ankles and was thrown into a steel van with no seatbelts. His body was slammed side to side, his leg injured. He was subsequently denied medical treatment. He was then held in solitary confinement and denied the ability to call his attorneys.



Rashid is still in solitary confinement and subject to isolation and brutality. The prison does not want this story told: He is being denied phone calls and emails, and has been limited to two hand written letters per a month. Rashid has initiated a hunger strike.

Take a moment to join his supporters at UPROAR to demand that he be released and his grievances addressed.

An Agent of the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDOC) told Rashid: Tell your supporters to stop calling and complaining about your situation or I’ll have you charged with harassment, you’ll stay in solitary, and you’ll get yourself hurt.

This threat is meant to intimidate and silence Rashid. But he knows he is not alone, and reached out to us for support. We are sharing his requests here.

We are not backing down. We are standing up. Join us in advocating for him to be released from solitary, given back his personal property including his tablet and writing materials, and be allowed to communicate with his supporters.

(read Rashid’s full statement here) 

Background: 2024 Self Immolation & Hunger Strikes

The brutal conditions at Red Onion State Prison (ROSP) were first reported by Prison Radio correspondent Kevin “Rashid” Johnson in 2024, when he called Prison Radio to record “Self-Immolation in Virginia Prisons.” In February of 2025, he called to report that “Prisoners Continue Self-Immolation at Red Onion Prison”. Immediately, he was hit with a 45-day phone ban, cutting off his ability to report from inside. 

Around the same time, two of the most outspoken and visible prisoners who self-immolated in ROSP, Ekong Eshiet and Demetrius Wallace, were transferred to Indiana and Maine. Rashid reported on this as well, “These transfers weren’t meant to remedy their suffering. They were timed to remove two outspoken witnesses and victims of abuses from the Virginia prison system on the eve of the system’s new ombudsman’s opening a long delayed but supposedly “prioritized” investigation into conditions at Red Onion. A self-investigation by VA prison officials that was meant to go nowhere before it began.“

The practice of violently relocating people as a form of punishment and to strip them of their family, community, and ability to organize dates back to slavery, and is something that Rashid himself has previously experienced. These transfers are a direct attack on these people’s rights and an attempt to suppress their updates to the public.

These transfers also serve as a warning to all others incarcerated in VADOC facilities: If you speak up about abuse you’ll be separated from your family, friends, and everything you know.

Other ways to support Rashid:

Share the campaign on social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ7vAIKN3kd/

Facebook: facebook.com/share/p/1E6kLKRUmZ

Attend the upcoming rally in Richmond VA:

Rally at the Bell Tower in Richmond – May 24 at 1:00 PM

Johnson, Eshiet, Wallace, and many others bravely built momentum that launched a multi-part investigation which has brought a spotlight on the brutal torture people have been experiencing at ROSP for decades. Legislators visited Red Onion and found racist abuse, medical neglect, the use of attack dogs, and brutal conditions designed to break the human spirit.

Still, nothing has changed at ROSP.

Meanwhile, Red Onion administrators are actively silencing prisoners, blocking their emails, destroying mail, and threatening anyone who dares speak to the outside world.

A note about Prison Radio and these action alerts

Prison Radio is a lifeline for incarcerated people, providing a platform to share their stories and shine a light on the darkest corners of the prison industrial complex. Each story we amplify is a call to action, exposing systemic abuse and building the power needed for change. But we can’t do this alone.

Each of these action alerts costs hundreds of dollars to build and share with you. Please consider a gift to help us continue the important work of sharing the voices of these brave folks, and these calls to action.

Sincerely,

Henry

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