Thursday, Sept. 26: Allllll day longgggg, all time zones!

On May 6, 2019, the ACLU and attorneys from White & Case LLP, on behalf of 12 prisoners at Red Onion and Wallen's Ridge, filed a federal class action lawsuit against the Virginia Department of Corrections (VDOC) seeking to end those prisons' practice of solitary confinement. You can read more about the case and the practice of solitary confinement as torture at Red Onion and Wallen's Ridge here. https://acluva.org/en/cases/thorpe-et-al-v-virginia-department-corrections-et-al

On 7/30, Peter Kamau Mukuria (Comrade Pitt) was put in solitary confinement at Red Onion as retaliation for his involvement in the lawsuit and for filing numerous complaints. He was at first charged with inciting a riot at the end of in-pod recreation that morning. There was no riot. Comrade Pitt appealed, and rather than dropping the charge, the warden reduced it to inciting a "group demonstration". This did not happen either. The warden knows that dropping the charge would give credence to Comrade Pitt's claim that he was put in solitary as retaliation for taking legal action against the prison administration. If Comrade Pitt incited a riot or demonstration on 7/30, the video footage of the pod should corroborate Correction Officer T. O'Quinn's account of what happened. However, neither the warden nor the hearing officer mentioned video evidence. Comrade Pitt appealed his case to the regional administrator. He needs needs supporters to call and ask that the regional chief of operation review the video footage, which will show that Officer O'Quinn's claim is false. 

Patrick Long, Regional Operations Manager

540-265-3142

Henry Ponton, Regional Chief of Operations

540-265-3144 

540-265-3148

Main office

540-561-7050

Script

Hi, I am calling in regard to Peter Mukuria (ID #1197165), an inmate at Red Onion Prison. Officers at Red Onion allege that Mr. Mukuria incited a group demonstration at the end of in-pod recreation on July 30, 2019. Mr. Mukuria maintains that this charge is false, yet he remains in solitary confienment as punishment despite a lack of evidence supporting the correctional officer's claim. I request that Chief Henry Ponton review the video footage from 7/30/2019 between the hours of 8am and 9am in Housing Unit Delta 5. He will see for himself that at no point did anyone incite a riot or participate in a group demonstration at the end of in-pod rec. Peter Mukuria walked directly to his assigned cell after finishing his phone call. If he reviews this footage he will see that the charge of inciting a group demonstration is fabricated. Thank you for your time.