Until Nov. 17, it had been 50 years since a Virginia prison guard had been killed by an inmate. According to VADOC, that changed when a corrections officer was severely injured by an inmate at the River North Correctional Center in Southwest Virginia. The guard later died of his injuries.
The Virginia Defender
Established in 2005 as The Richmond Defender, The Virginia Defender is a free community newspaper, published quarterly for the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality. Print distribution is currently 12,000 and statewide. The online publication launched in Summer 2020.
23rd Annual Gabriel Gathering, 225th Anniversary of the Plan
This year marked 23 years of honoring the memory and legacies of “Gabriel’s Rebellion” and the Shockoe Bottom African Burial Ground.
Model prisons, mental health, staff shortages: An interview with Margaret Breslau
An interview with Margaret Breslau, a co-founder of the Virginia Prison Justice Network and chair of the Coalition for Justice. The Coalition produces a monthly newsletter for the VAPJN that is sent to thousands of prisoners, reaching virtually every Virginia facility.
Update: Shockoe Institute
Construction continues on the 10,000-square foot Shockoe Institute at Richmond’s Main Street Station, but programs have been underway since early this year, either as virtual events or in collaboration with other cultural institutions
Living trans in Virginia
An editorial by Aurora Higgs, a Richmond-based producer, actor, consultant and professional speaker, on the transgender experience in Virginia.
Shockoe Project Update
An update on the Shockoe Bottom African Burial Ground memorial. The proposed theme for the memorial is “Hush Harbor”: hush harbors (or arbors) were the secret spaces in the woods where enslaved people could gather unobserved to rest, worship or plan.
Spread Information, Not Panic
A short guide on sharing information about ICE/law enforcement threats. Share information, don’t spread panic!
The Virginia Defender 