Extensive lockdowns at Red Onion State Prison leave loved ones in the dark for weeks at a time
WISE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Extensive lockdowns at Red Onion State Prison are leaving imprisoned loved ones in the dark for days, sometimes weeks at a time.
The Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) told 8News in-person visits, video calls and phone calls are all suspended during a lockdown.
At the time of this article, it was the 154th day of the year, and for 46 of those days, Red Onion was under lockdown -- that's roughly a third of the year.
8News spoke to a woman named Meg who did not want her full name or face publicized out of fear of retaliation toward her boyfriend currently serving time at the Wise County prison.
The VADOC said those incarcerated can still communicate through mail during a lockdown, but Meg has evidence to dispute that and described what it's like to be a loved one going through this.
“I think the biggest thing is really, honestly not knowing if they’re even alive," she said. “So, when people are like, ‘They did the crime, they need to do the time,’ that’s fine. But there’s treatment that’s going on that is just unnecessary.”
According to the VADOC, Red Onion was on lockdown for nine days in January from Jan. 10 through 19, four days in February on Feb. 11 and then Feb. 15 through 17, 10 days in April from April 4 through 14, and 23 days in May from May 2 through 4 and then May 6 through 26.
The most recent and longest stint Meg said she went without hearing from her boyfriend was for 18 days straight in May.
"It’s kind of a sense of relief," she said about finally getting a call from him.
The VADOC said these lockdowns happen for “security purposes.” They also put facilities under lockdown to do routine scheduled quarterly sweeps for drugs, weapons and other illegal contraband. They did not indicate how long sweep lockdowns should or do take.
Meg said she has to live with never knowing when she’ll hear from her boyfriend.
“If we call the facility, it’s, ‘We don’t know when we’re coming off lock. We don’t know. We don’t know.’ And they won’t tell us why. They never tell us why. They never tell us when," Meg said.
The only form of communication during a lockdown is by mail, but Meg has had several letters returned back to her. After reviewing, 8News found at least one was sent back during confirmed lockdowns.
“I got four in one day actually," she said. "And I was so upset about it, I literally just ripped the envelopes open and stuffed them in new envelopes, re-addressed them, and sent them right back out the door.”
When 8News questioned the VADOC about this, they said they have "no knowledge of mail being sent back during lockdowns.”
She said not being able to communicate with the outside world has left her boyfriend in a panic.
“Just himself and four walls," she said. “A 12-page letter that he had written during the 18-day lockdown and you could just see his mental health just deteriorating.”
Meg said she schedules video calls not knowing if she’ll actually get to see her boyfriend, something we caught on camera during a May lockdown.
After signing in for her call, audible banging could be heard through the phone.
"He’s back there kicking the door and screaming," she said.
Meg said he can see the video calls from the window of his cell and can see when she signs on, he just can’t get out of his cell to actually talk to her.
Another inmate, seemingly able to get out of his cell during that lockdown came to the screen and said, "They're locked down. He’s gonna call you in the morning and he loves you.”
The most recent video call Meg had with her boyfriend was Tuesday, June 3. It was the first one since April 30. She said every single one in May was cancelled.
This is part of 8News' continued coverage on conditions at Red Onion after the VADOC confirmed seven men in the past year have purposefully burned themselves in hopes of getting transferred to other facilities.
8News has reached out to the VADOC and requested an interview with Director Chadwick Dotson seven times since January. On Friday, May 30, they said he "will not be providing an interview at this time."