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Alleged prison abuse still deserves scrutiny The Justice Department could ease concerns by finishing its investigation at Red Onion. The Roanoke Times--by Laurence Hammack In the fall of 2000, the U.S. Justice Department launched an investigation into alleged prisoner abuse at Red Onion State Prison. It has yet to reveal its findings, if any. Even if things have gotten better, as some officials claim, a final report that affirms to taxpayers that their government is treating prisoners humanely is overdue. Six years ago, stories of abuse hung over Red Onion. The group Human Rights Watch had recently issued a report critical of the facility in Wise County. Alleged abuses included excessive force, improperly discharging firearms, repeated stun-gunning and strapping prisoners to beds with five-point restraints for days on end. The Justice Department, under President Clinton, said it would get to the bottom of the mess. Its investigation appears to have stalled under President Bush. According to letters obtained by The Roanoke Times in response to a public records request, investigators have taken little action. Annual reports to Congress have never mentioned a final report. Conditions have almost certainly improved at the prison over the years. Virginia corrections officials updated rules for using stun guns after the weapons contributed to the death of a prisoner at the Wallens Ridge unit. The rules for restraints, too, have changed, and a federal judge last year ruled that tying down prisoners for long periods constitutes illegal cruel and unusual punishment. The Justice Department should finally reveal whether things have really improved and bring closure to a stain on Virginia's human rights record. If all is well, Virginians ought to know. If abuse is still taking place, Virginians definitely should know so they can correct it. It is all too easy to forget about the rights of convicted criminals in a supermax facility built to jail the worst of the worst. But they do have rights, and society has a moral and legal obligation to ensure they are being upheld. Laurence Hammack |