On December 7th, 2024, a community meeting sponsored by the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality was held in Richmond, Virginia, in response to the self-immolation by men held at Red Onion State Prison. More than 100 people attended.

The meeting began with a screening of the documentary “Up the Ridge,” about Wallens Ridge, a prison very similar to Red Onion, before moving on to the rest of the program.

This meeting was a very important first step in the fight to get an honest, external investigation of the prison and its horrific conditions.

You can see the recording of the meeting on our Facebook page, here. You can view the entirety of the documentary “Up the Ridge” on Youtube, here.