by Ana Edwards and Phil Wilayto, The Virginia Defender
Kevin ”Rashid” Johnson, the longtime prisoner-activist who first exposed the self-immolations at Virginia’s Red Onion supermax prison, has been transferred to South Carolina and has twice been put into solitary confinement, the second time reportedly in retaliation for a phone and email campaign by his supporters. He is now restricted to two handwritten letters per month, with no phone or email access. Rashid has resumed his hunger strike and is asking folks to not back down and to increase their phone calls and emails to the prison officials. (See below.)
In response, the Defenders reached out to Rashid, called the offices of the South Carolina Ombudsman and Medical Concerns Team and, under the Freedom of Information Act, sent a series of questions about Rashid’s current situation to the state’s headquarters. Other organizations, including UPROAR, also mobilized in Rashid’s defense.
Rashid is asking all supporters to keep flooding the South Carolina Department of Corrections with phone calls and emails demanding that he be released from solitary; be given back his writing materials, his tablet and all personal property; and be allowed to communicate with his attorneys and supporters.
How to help Rashid
To support Rashid, contact these offices, express your concerns and ask about the current situation of Kevin “Rashid” Johnson, currently held at the Perry Correctional Institution in Pelzer, South Carolina. In case they ask, his South Carolina prison number is 397279.
- Ombudsman: email ombudsman@doc.sc.gov, phone 803-896-9409
- Medical Concerns Team: email MedicalConcerns@doc.sc.gov, phone 803-896-8547
And please let us know that you have taken this action by contacting us at DefendersFJE@hotmail.com.
Update on Red Onion
In late 2024 and early 2025, at least seven men imprisoned at Red Onion set themselves on fire in a desperate attempt to get transferred out of that hellhole. Now two of those men have been transferred out of state: Ekong Eshiet and Demetrius Wallace. One more, Franklyn Johnson, reportedly died a few months after being released in January.
Demetrius is now being held at Maine State Prison, a maximum-security facility in a rural area about 75 miles north of Portland.
Wise County, where Red Onion and Wallen’s Ridge prisons are located, Is 90.5% white. Knox County, where Maine State Prison is located, is 94.3% white. (U.S. Census Bureau.) And yet, while both prisons are located in overwhelmingly white, rural areas, the Maine prison is much different from Red Onion, according to Demetrius’ mother, Tomeka Wallace.
“It’s a whole different situation,” Ms. Wallace told the Defender May 20. “He’s now in his third month, and he’s in a better place, mentally. He can make a call every day, till midnight, and gets video visits every day.
“They play handball, basketball, pickleball, you’re not just cooped up in a cell all day with nothing to do but just sit and think. He signed up for college courses. The guards come by and ask how you’re doing. They treat you with dignity. What we thought was going to be bad has been a blessing.”
Ekong has reportedly been transferred to a prison in Indiana. We have not yet been able to learn any more information about his situation.
Update on Rashid’s situation
Summary: Now imprisoned in South Carolina, Rashid has been moved to solitary confinement for the second time, reportedly in retaliation for the phone and email campaign by his supporters. He is restricted to two handwritten letters per month, with no phone or email access. He has resumed his hunger strike and is asking folks to not back down and to increase their phone calls and emails to the prison officials. (See above.)
Details:
- – On Monday, May 19, at around 9 p.m., Rashid was using the toilet in his cell with the lights out when a woman sergeant put her face in the window of his cell and asked him to turn the lights on. He replied that he was using the toilet, but she continued to stand with her face in the window for about 30-45 seconds. The toilet is right next to the cell window, with the toilet bowl adjacent to the cell door. After Rashid pulled his pants up, he turned the light back on. There is a security camera that points directly to his cell and should show that the sergeant was peering into his window, a likely violation of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), which generally prohibits non-medical prison staff from cross-gender viewing of prisoners’ private body parts, including when they are using the toilet.
- – On the morning of Tuesday, May 20, Rashid was told that a Capt. Lasley wanted to see him. As Rashid was walked toward the administration building, Lasley and an intelligence officer with the investigation office met him outdoors. They told him to turn around, cuffed him and sent him to the Restrictive Housing Unit (RHU, i.e., solitary). Rashid asked why this was happening, but did not receive an answer.
- – About 10 minutes later, a special agent named Freole (unsure of the spelling) from the South Carolina Department of Corrections Inspector General’s Office visited Rashid in RHU. The agent said he had driven more than an hour to the Perry prison to tell Rashid to tell his supporters to stop calling and complaining about his situation, or else he would be criminally charged with harassment, that he would stay in solitary and that “You’ll get yourself hurt” (paraphrased.) When Rashid replied that the prison should talk to the media and courts, the agent said Rashid would not be talking to anyone because the prison had cut off his tablet access, including his phone and email messages.
- – Later that day, Rashid asked the RHU captain, a man named Blakeley, why he was back in the hole. Blakeley replied that a woman sergeant had reported that Rashid had exposed himself to her the previous night. Rashid said the only remotely related incident was when he was using the toilet. Blakeley replied that Rashid needed to wait to see the incident report, which could take a few days because a major had to sign it. Rashid submitted a PREA grievance the same day.
- – About 10 minutes later, a special agent named Freole (unsure of the spelling) from the South Carolina Department of Corrections Inspector General’s Office visited Rashid in RHU. The agent said he had driven more than an hour to the Perry prison to tell Rashid to tell his supporters to stop calling and complaining about his situation, or else he would be criminally charged with harassment, that he would stay in solitary and that “You’ll get yourself hurt” (paraphrased.) When Rashid replied that the prison should talk to the media and courts, the agent said Rashid would not be talking to anyone because the prison had cut off his tablet access, including his phone and email messages.
Rashid’s current conditions
- He is again sleeping on a concrete slab about six inches from the ground. Unlike the first time, he has clothes: a jumpsuit, boxer shorts, socks and crocs.
- He cannot make phone calls or send messages to anyone. He can only hand-write two personal letters per month.
- There are no materials in his cell, so he is forced to sit in his cell all day with absolutely nothing to do.
- He restarted his hunger strike on Tuesday, May 20.
- His leg is still stiff and still hurts when he bounces on it, but it feels like it’s mending. He no longer limps when he walks.
- The prison has given him the property he accumulated since he arrived at Perry, but has withheld all of his property from Keen Mountain, about 30 boxes of documents. They also took most of his legal mail and legal documents.
Defenders’ note: Our understanding is that Rashid is asking all supporters to keep flooding the South Carolina Department of Corrections with phone calls and emails demanding that he be released from solitary; be given back his writing materials, his tablet and all personal property; and be allowed to communicate with his attorneys and supporters.
Send our brother some love and light: Kevin Johnson, 397279, Perry Correctional Institution, 430 Oaklawn Rd., Pelzer SC 29669. Even if the prison refuses to give Rashid his mail, it clearly shows that he has strong support. The Bay View salutes The Virginia Defender for its pivotal role in this struggle.
