Red Onion Hunger Strike Reminds Us of George Allen’s Legacy as Gov.

In the late 1990s, then-Gov. George Allen (R), now running for re-election to the Senate against Tim Kaine (D), had a get-tough corrections policy that resulted in the abolition of parole and the lengthening of criminal sentences. He went on a prison-building tear that included the construction of two “supermax” (or level S facilities for their maximum-security features) to house the supposed expected flood of violent offenders. A surplus of cells resulted, which were then rented out to other states with overflowing prisons, resulting inappropriate incarceration of low-threat offenders from urban areas.  The recent hunger strike by inmates protest conditions that date back to construction.  And lest you think that only the worst of the worst are imprisoned there, Joe Giarratano ended up at Red Onion for 8 years AFTER starting his peace studies program . To continue reading see:

*http://bethwellington.blogspot.com/2012/05/huger-strike-at-supermax-red-onion.html

*http://bethwellington.blogspot.com/2012/05/red-onion-hunger-strike-ends-peace.html