Urgent - Take Action in Virginia!
URGENT ACTION is needed to let Governor Youngkin know of the importance of this legislation. In 2024, the Governor vetoed similar legislation, and he needs to hear from us to avoid a veto this year. Please contact the Governor’s office as soon as possible to express your support. Do it today — the Governor must act by March 24 on the legislation.
Message: Tell Governor Youngkin that you support SB1409 / HB2647 today!
Phone: 804-786-2211
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
Mailing Address:
Commonwealth of Virginia.
Constituent Services.
P.O Box 1475. Richmond, VA 23218.
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View the Video of the Interview with Ben Austen
Ben Austen is a journalist from Chicago. He is the author of Correction: Parole, Prison, and the Possibility of Change, which was named one of the best books of 2023 by the Washington Post. His book High-Risers: Cabrini-Green and the Fate of American Public Housing was longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal of Excellence in Nonfiction and named one of the best books of 2018 by Booklist, Mother Jones, and the public libraries of Chicago and St.Louis. A former editor at Harper's Magazine, Ben teaches in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Chicago. Rabbi Feinberg interviewed Ben on May 15, 2024.
Read about our Pen Pal Program.
Pen Pal Who Was Released
Interested? We’d love to hear from you! Send us a letter to introduce yourself to our pen pal coordinator. Or write to IAHR Pen Pal Program, PO Box 9731, Arlington, VA 22219.
Voices from Inside Virginia Prisons Show Need for Robust Independent Oversight of State Prisons
Drawing from correspondence with more than 600 individuals incarcerated in Virginia prisons, Interfaith Action for Human Rights (IAHR) has released a report (the “Red Report”) calling for significant staffing and authority for independent oversight of the operations of the Virginia prison system. The report summarizes 156 stories divided into 16 different categories of abuse ranging from alleged assaults by prison staff to inadequate health care to ineffective and unreliable redress mechanisms.
Click here to read the full report.
Torture In Our Name
The National Religious Campaign Against Torture has produced a film, Torture in Our Name, that we encourage you to watch. In this 35-minute documentary, filmmaker Matthew Gossage showcases the tenacity and resilience of people who have faced the torture of solitary confinement first-hand and are working to end it once and for all.
