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Kevin “Rashid” Johnson risked everything to expose this crisis. As an incarcerated journalist, artist, poet, and long-time Prison Radio correspondent, Rashid has spent 18 years in solitary confinement, survived constant transfers meant to silence his activism, and endured severe medical neglect.
In 2024, Rashid broke the story of self-immolations at Red Onion, alerting Prison Radio—and the world—to the horrifying abuses taking place behind its walls. The New York Times, NBC, The Guardian, and other major outlets followed our coverage. The Appeal launched a multi-part investigation, uncovering that prison officials considered charging men who set themselves on fire for medical expenses and cell damage.
Virginia officials first denied the burnings, and then dismissed them as manipulative acts. But the truth could not be buried. 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.
- Charles Coleman has set himself on fire again.
- Ekon Eshiet is being cut off from communicating with his family and labeled a “snitch” by guards—a setup for violence.
- Demetrius Wallace has been brutally beaten and denied basic rights. His mother pleads for help, but officials ignore her.
Meanwhile, Red Onion administrators are actively silencing prisoners, blocking their emails, destroying mail, and threatening anyone who dares speak to the outside world. As of March 5, Rashid was banned from making any phone calls for 45 days as a result of his February 28 commentary exposing the ongoing self-immolation crisis.
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