My Message from Red Onion State Prison

By Gerald McNabb (Red Onion)

My message to all Virginia prisoners is, since my return to Red Onion, I see a lot of “no prisoner evolvement”. Why? Where and how are ya’ll doing time? It’s on you always to teach the prisoner beside you and vice versa. It’s on the prisoner you’re beside to teach you. None of us knows everything?! Y'all need to wake up, reach out. Many who read this monthly newsletter are in long-term solitary confinement for years. A lot has been missed in a knowledge sense. Yes, they’re still prisoners, and he’s your brother, always! Some of these prisoners who aren’t in solitary confinement are depressed and lonely and want to hear from us all. Look, I shouldn’t have to say it, but I will. Always be careful what you teach or say. This newsletter is a gift for us all. We have to think about the prisoner in solitary confinement for years. Let’s open this newsletter up to help our own!

I was in a prison on the West Coast. I was accused of being in possession of two weapons, which was a lie. I was placed in the Step-Down program for the accusations and was eventually sent back to the Step-Down program at Red Onion. I am on SM1 presently, but I said that to say the Step-Down program is nationally recognized -- meaning it is in every prison throughout the United States. Anyone who may think you're going to be transferred out of state, there will be a Step-Down program there.

As this lawsuit (Thorpe v Clarke) is in litigation in the federal court, the defendants have filed motions against us. In one of their motions, they said, "... To that end, VDOC began developing the 'long-term restrictive housing Step-Down Program in 2011. First implemented at Red Onion and Wallens Ridge State Prison, two of Virginia's maximum security detention facilities. The Step-Down program is a 'nationally recognized' program representing an 'organizational shift and 'culture change' within VADOC to reduce the overall use of restrictive housing. 2021 General Assembly Report"

So now, we all see that the Step-Down program is nationally recognized, which means it is in every prison in the country. As I was in the West Coast, I was involved in numerous litation hearings, one was a videotaped video conference deposition on April 4, 2023, and I wan to show you something -- none of us have given up as all may think because it just seems that the lawsuit has been going on now for too many years. Well, I feel that within myself as well, so you're not alone, but these are lawyers who know what they're doing. I had heard of it taking ten years to end a lawsuit. Right now, we're right at six years and still waiting.

On April 14, 2022, while I was on the West Coast making the deposition, here's a piece of my testimony when I was asked by the VDOC attorneys:

VDOC attorney: McNabb, what relief do you assert you are entitled to from this lawsuit?

Me: That the Step-Down program at Red Onion, as well as Wallens Ridge State Prison and all nationalized, recognized prisons which is within this whole United States, be abolished. And the second would be being that I have been myself, and that I am a plaintiff in this case, that I have been in solitary confinement in the Step-Down program for so many years, the Virginia Department of Corrections has taken my parole. The Virginia Department of Corrections -- that's illegal. You can't take my parole. That's for the Virginia Parole Board to take my parole or grant me parole. They have taken it from me for years when you shouldn't have. And, plus all of the conditions that will be stated within this lawsuit, class-action complaint, Thorpe v. Clarke/VA Department of Corrections.

VDOC attorney in a real smart tone: Anything else?

In closing, to all ya'll, this police hate as I do, it's always hard bro', but don't ever give up. Always know this: if anyone ever gives up, they're only submitting to police hate. I want you all to listen to a more than truth felt fight as we see continuously today against us. There's an old phrase that says, "The struggle of humanity against power is as the struggle of memory against forgetting." I'll leave you with that. Keep your heads up.