Virginia prison cites unwritten policy when declining press comment
Editor’s note: This story includes references to self-harm.
Tomeka Wallace didn’t know her son was being transferred from Virginia’s Red Onion State Prison until she got a call in February from a Maine prison official.
Demetrius, her son, was among a group of men at Red Onion who previously harmed themselves and participated in a hunger strike to protest conditions at the super-maximum security facility in the southwest portion of the state.
Related Knowledge Center: Free speech and public protest
The First Amendment is facing challenging times: Crackdowns on campus protests prompted both-sides claims of intolerance. Attempts to head off dangerous health misinformation have been characterized as violations of free speech. Donald Trump is publicly punishing news outlets that deviate from his administration’s version of events while privately suing some outlets into submission.
The White House vs. the press | Voiceless America