Time at the "Ridge"
- Kyle Purvis
- Jun 19
- 1 min read
Kyle Purvis (WRSP)
The stories of “The Ridge” used to intrigue me –
You know the kind that were “war” and “politically” based.
Yet, nothing could prepare you for the real-life experience.
My time at “the Ridge” was different from anywhere I’ve been
From systemic racism to the senseless beatings,
the blatant disrespect – you name it, it’s been done.
From the time you step on the plantation, you can feel the energy.
You could feel the culture shock when your introduction is
“This ain’t _______!” Those who know, know what I mean.
The chill in the air, even on the hottest of days.
Handcuffed and shackled as you’re being led away.
Being told to walk in a single file line, “or else”
A place where families lose their loved ones
not to any health complication or due to prison violence,
The fact of the matter is – some just disappear.
Beatings and disfigurement until you’ve healed in hidden places,
only to cover their trucks with little to no trace of evidence.
Who do you call? Who can you ask for help with nothing to prove?
This is my life at “The Ridge” – a place I vow not to return.
If you’re looking for my advice, don’t go there!
Physically, mentally, and psychologically, you may never return.
Although conditions are not as harsh within women’s prisons, they are bad enough and have continued to worsen over the past few years. I was released from Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women last year and had been there for 19 years. I watched the moral decline of staff. I also watched as many aged out while inside and I saw the population begin to fill with young women. Some the ages of my young adult children. Staff members also began to be employed at those same young ages. The majority of older and seasoned Correctional officers are now gone from that horrible place for their own reasons. That has created the chaotic atmosphere swirling around within that prison because those…