Protect Ekong Eshiet (VADOC #1842654) – Take Emergency Action Now

By: UPROAR Admin · May 29, 2025

Protect Ekong Eshiet (IDOC #304103) – Demand Emergency Action

🚨 Retaliation Continues Against Ekong Eshiet (IDOC #304103) — Public Pressure Still Urgently Needed

ℹ️ How this campaign page works to protect Ekong

This campaign is part of UPROAR — Uniting Prisoners’ Relatives Organizing Against Repression, sparked by Kevin “Rashid” Johnson’s 2024 call to organize a prisoner support network composed of prisoners’ loved ones . We organize loved ones, create receipts, and force officials to respond. Each complaint, call, and email documents abuse, notifies authorities, and proves when they fail to act.

Read the case summary and emergency updates at the top (Ekong’s November 20 statement, hunger/medication refusal, and oversight failures).
Follow the steps in order:
- Step 1: Call Indiana DOC, Westville officials, and VADOC leadership using the numbers + script provided.
- Step 2: File the VA OSIG Ombudsman complaint (conditions, retaliation, solitary / “safe keeping”).
- Step 3: File the VA OSIG Healthcare Compliance Unit complaint (mental-health neglect, hunger/med refusal, ICC duty of care).
- Step 4: Use the email tools — the ActionNetwork letter (which targets legislators + DOC) and the direct email (which lets you see, edit, and send the text yourself).
Support materially through the donation form if you’re able — it helps cover Ekong’s survival needs in solitary.
Report your action in the encrypted Cryptpad form at the bottom. This lets us track pressure and escalate when needed.

Privacy & safety: You may submit OSIG complaints with minimal personal information or anonymously. All complaint text and scripts are copy-ready — just follow the steps in order to add to the collective pressure. Be brief and respectful on calls — voicemail still counts.

Our goal is not only to win relief for Ekong, but also to document patterns of abuse and noncompliance with state and federal law — including the Interstate Corrections Compact, Virginia’s statutory duty of care for people in DOC custody, disability rights law, and the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment — so that future legal and legislative action has a clear record to build on.

UPROAR is always seeking more loved ones — and devoted, accountable people inside and outside — who can coordinate, support families, and help develop strategies of protest, exposure, and resistance. Join us here.

📞 Call Script 📑 VA Ombudsman Form 🏥 Healthcare Compliance (HCU) ✉️ Email Tools ✅ Report Your Action

🚨 November 20, 2025 – Ekong’s Emergency Statement from Solitary

November 23, 2025 update: Ekong reports that Westville staff have still not formally recognized his hunger strike. After at least seven refused meal trays, staff have not logged his hunger strike, have not checked his vitals, and have not followed any hunger-strike protocol. This is not a misunderstanding; it is deliberate silence that amounts to medical neglect. Inside, Ekong is documenting every refused tray with date and time; outside, we are using calls and complaints on this page to force Indiana and Virginia officials to treat his protest as the medical emergency it already is instead of pretending it is not happening.

On November 20, 2025, Ekong Eshiet called from the control unit at Westville Correctional Facility and recorded what he described as his final statement. He announces a protest in which he is refusing all meals and his prescribed mental-health medication, and issues a clear ultimatum: “Either they take me out the hole or I will die in here.”

He explains that his diagnosed mental illness is being “purposely neglected”, rejects the facility’s claim that he is on “safe keeping,” and notes he has no disciplinary charges that justify long-term segregation.

🎧 Listen to Ekong’s statement:

This recording forms the basis for the urgent demands and actions below. The goal is to stop his death-track protest by forcing Indiana and Virginia officials to end the torture conditions producing it.

Ekong Eshiet is a Virginia prisoner, revolutionary, and known whistleblower who set himself on fire in protest after months of racial and psychological abuse at Red Onion State Prison. In retaliation, he was transferred to Indiana under the Interstate Corrections Compact and is now held in long-term solitary confinement at Westville Correctional Facility despite a documented psychiatric crisis and fragile mental health.

You can read and listen to Ekong’s firsthand commentaries from prison — including his hunger strike announcement and ongoing political analysis — via his page on Prison Radio.

Based on Ekong’s November 20 statement, his demands are explicit, layered, and urgent:

🔴 Immediate, non-negotiable demand (life-or-death):
- Immediate release from the control unit / “the hole.” Ekong states plainly that “the only option for me is for me to get out the hole or for me to die.”
🧠 Underlying mental-health and medical demands:
- End the deliberate neglect of his diagnosed mental illness and provide competent, effective psychiatric care.
- Review and adjust his medication in a clinically appropriate way, rather than leaving him on drugs he says “don’t even work.”
🩺 Hunger-strike recognition and medical protocol:
- Immediate formal recognition of his hunger and medication refusal as a medical emergency, with documented vitals checks and monitoring.
- Full compliance with Indiana DOC hunger-strike policy, including written confirmation of when his refusal was logged, what protocol is being followed, and what medical steps have been taken.
⚖️ Procedural and legal demands:
- Provide a lawful, documented, charge-based justification for any restrictive housing, instead of hiding behind “safe keeping” that he never requested.
- End the retaliatory use of solitary and interstate transfer against him as a whistleblower.

Legal context: Under the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Article I, § 9 of the Virginia Constitution, prolonged solitary confinement of a person with serious mental illness and deliberate indifference to needed medical care can constitute cruel and unusual punishment. As the sending state under the Interstate Corrections Compact (Va. Code §§ 53.1-216–217), Virginia remains legally responsible for Ekong’s confinement, while Indiana acts only as its agent and must treat him in a “reasonable and humane manner” and ensure he retains the same legal rights he would have if confined in Virginia.

🕒 2024–2025 timeline, oversight failures, and written testimony (click to expand)

🚨 July 10, 2025 Update — Indiana Oversight Rubber-Stamps Torture

Ekong just received a letter from Director Charlene A. Burkett of the Indiana DOC Ombudsman Bureau. Burkett writes that she “doesn’t find any reason to review this matter further” — a stunning admission that the oversight body charged with protecting prisoners refuses even to investigate a year-long solitary confinement sentence. Ekong’s request to us is simple: “Please blast them with letters on my behalf.”

July 3, 2025 Update: Ekong ended his hunger strike after several days, following the Indiana DOC’s refusal to formally acknowledge or respond to it. This act of protest — launched on June 9 to demand an end to his retaliatory solitary confinement — was met with calculated silence. Officially, Ekong has been sentenced to 90 days in solitary, but a nurse has informed him privately that the real punishment is a full year. This contradiction, coupled with the state’s refusal to recognize his protest, highlights the deliberate cruelty and suppression he continues to face.

Background: After self-immolating to protest racist abuse, neglect, and religious discrimination at Red Onion, Ekong Eshiet became a key witness in a wave of public exposure—one of several men who set themselves on fire to escape what he called a “prisoner torture warehouse.” Despite requesting transfer to a mental health pod, Ekong was instead shipped out of state to Indiana in February 2025. A VPM News investigation confirmed that Red Onion’s warden assembled an internal task force to preempt outside scrutiny—declaring “no staff misconduct” within 24 hours. Ekong’s forced removal fits a larger pattern of administrative exile designed to isolate and silence those who resist, as documented by scholars and whistleblowers alike.

📝 “We Are Modern-Day Slaves”: Ekong’s Written Testimony from Red Onion

In December 2024, Ekong Eshiet authored a powerful written statement while still incarcerated at Red Onion State Prison. In it, he exposes the racism, psychological torture, and institutional violence that define life inside Virginia’s most remote and punitive prisons. This testimony was later read aloud publicly as a call to action.

“Red Onion and Wallens Ridge are located in areas where 90 to 98% of the population are descendants of people who fought to keep slavery going… If a blind person walked through here, they would be able to smell the racist atmosphere.”

“Most DOC facilities are weaker, generic versions of plantations. The people who run them are Neo-Nazis and a new generation of Confederate soldiers.”

“We’ve set ourselves on fire, swallowed batteries, razors, toothpaste tubes — as a desperate call for help that most times goes unnoticed because these new Confederates are profoundly tactical in covering it up.”

“I am near the point of no return… But inshallah, I will continue to fight against oppression — not just for myself, but for all my people behind the wall and on the land.”

Ekong’s full written statement, including his demands for outside mental health care, legal representation, and the resignation of key Red Onion officials, was read aloud during a public broadcast. You can hear it beginning at the 27-minute mark:

🔗 🎧 Listen to Ekong’s Statement (27:00 mark)

Call to Action: Ekong has specifically requested that supporters begin calling Indiana DOC and Virginia DOC officials this week to demand his removal from solitary and proper mental health care. See the phone numbers and script below. Time is critical — his health is already fragile after months of abuse and isolation.

📞 Step 1: Call Officials to Demand Justice for Ekong

📍 Indiana DOC / Westville Targets (current custodians)
• Jason Smiley – Warden, Westville CF — (219) 785-2511 x4004
• Kenneth Gann – Deputy Warden, Westville CF — (219) 785-2511 x4815
• Robert Carter Jr. – Commissioner, Indiana DOC — (317) 232-5711
• Indiana DOC Ombudsman Bureau (Director Charlene Burkett) — (317) 234-3190
• Office of the Governor of Indiana – Constituent Services — [Governor’s phone number]

📍 Virginia DOC / ICC & Oversight Targets (retaining state under ICC)
• Chadwick Dotson – Director, Virginia DOC — (804) 887-8080
• A. David Robinson – Chief of Corrections Operations — (804) 887-8078
• VADOC Central Office – ask for Interstate Corrections Compact / Interstate Transfers office — (804) 674-3000
• Office of the State Inspector General – Corrections Ombudsman & Healthcare Compliance main line — (804) 625-3255
• Office of the Governor of Virginia – Constituent Services — (804) 786-2211

📍 Your State Legislators (follow-up to your email)
• Virginia residents: find your Senator and Delegate at whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov and call their district or Richmond office to ask them to intervene in Ekong’s case.
• Indiana residents: find your state legislators at iga.in.gov/legislative/find-legislators and call to let them know you have taken action through the public campaign and expect them to follow up with DOC and oversight officials.

📣 Call Script

Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I’m calling with urgent concern about Ekong Eshiet (VADOC #1842654, Indiana DOC #304103).

Ekong is a Virginia prisoner transferred to Indiana under the Interstate Corrections Compact after exposing abuse at Red Onion State Prison. He is now being held in solitary confinement at Westville — despite being in mental health crisis and having previously attempted suicide in protest.

As of November 23, 2025, he has refused at least seven consecutive meals, yet Westville staff have reportedly failed to log his hunger strike, take his vitals, or initiate any hunger-strike protocol. Ignoring a known hunger and medication refusal is itself medical neglect and creates a life-threatening risk.

This punishment is retaliatory, dangerous, and likely illegal under both Indiana and Virginia law. I’m concerned that it violates the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment, Article I, § 16 of the Indiana Constitution, and Virginia’s obligations as the sending state under the Interstate Corrections Compact (Va. Code §§ 53.1-216–217, Art. IV(e)), which requires that transferred prisoners be treated humanely and retain the same legal rights they would have if confined in Virginia. Because Ekong has a diagnosed mental illness, these conditions also raise serious concerns under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

I am urging you to:

End Ekong’s solitary confinement immediately
Ensure his hunger and medication refusal are formally logged and that he is given an immediate medical evaluation and ongoing monitoring
Transfer him to a mental health pod or equivalent treatment setting
Ensure proper treatment and full out-of-cell time
Investigate how this transfer and punishment were approved
Provide written confirmation that Indiana DOC’s hunger-strike policy is being followed in his case

Ekong’s life and mental health are at serious risk. I urge you to act now.

Thank you for your time.

Help us document the pattern:
Ekong reports that phones and emails are going unanswered as part of his isolation. If you call and the line rings out, goes to voicemail, or you are refused information, please note the date, time, who you spoke with (if anyone), and what you were told — then log it in the Cryptpad form at the bottom of this page. We are matching outside call logs with his inside log of refused trays to show a pattern of deliberate non-response.

📝 Step 2: Submit to VA Corrections Ombudsman

Form tips — VA OSIG Ombudsman Complaint (Ekong’s case)
If the site says “Your form has expired,” reload the page and paste your text again. Keep the message copied before you navigate or submit. The Office of the State Inspector General is empowered by Va. Code § 2.2-309.1 to investigate abuse, neglect, and inadequate behavioral health services in state correctional facilities, including people transferred out of state under the Interstate Corrections Compact.

• Name / Phone / Email: Optional. Add if you want a case number and follow-up; you may also file anonymously or with minimal info.
• Relationship to Inmate *: “Concerned community member,” “Family advocate,” or “Faith community member.”
• Facility Name *: Westville Correctional Facility (Indiana) – out-of-state placement under the Interstate Corrections Compact.
• Inmate Name, DOC# *: Ekong Eshiet — VADOC #1842654 / IDOC #304103
• Unit / Location: “Control unit / segregation (‘the hole’) at Westville CF.”
• Date(s) of Incident *: Use today’s date and note that the abuse and neglect are ongoing.
• Summary of what occurred *: Paste the gray box below and keep the key language about hunger/medication refusal and “get out the hole or die.”

“Subjects Involved”: Westville control-unit staff and mental-health staff; Warden Jason Smiley; Deputy Warden Kenneth Gann; Commissioner Robert Carter Jr. (Indiana DOC); Director Chadwick Dotson and Chief of Corrections Operations A. David Robinson (VADOC); VADOC Interstate Corrections Compact / Interstate Transfers staff who approved and maintain his placement.
“Witnesses to Allegations”: Yes — Westville medical and mental-health staff, custody staff assigned to the control unit, and officials in both states who have received complaints and calls about Ekong’s condition.
“Is anyone at DOC aware?”: Yes — officials in Virginia and Indiana are aware through internal records, grievances, and prior complaints; Indiana DOC and Ombudsman have already been notified about his solitary confinement and protest.
“Previously Reported / Inmate Grievance Procedure *”: Yes — life-threatening mental-health neglect and retaliatory solitary confinement have been reported through internal grievances, public statements (including his self-immolation at Red Onion), and prior complaints to DOC and oversight bodies in both states.
“Evidence”: Ekong’s recorded November 20, 2025 statement (refusing food and medication); Westville control-unit housing and classification records; ICC transfer paperwork; medical and mental-health records from Virginia and Indiana; documentation of his prior self-immolation and psychiatric crisis; grievance logs; call logs and notes from advocates; incident reports and any video/time logs related to his placement in the control unit and denial of appropriate mental-health care.

Use the button below to copy the message, then paste it into the Ombudsman complaint form:

URGENT: Life-or-Death Situation for Whistleblower Ekong Eshiet (VADOC #1842654 / IDOC #304103)

I am writing to demand immediate intervention regarding Ekong Eshiet, a Virginia prisoner held at Westville Correctional Facility in Indiana under the Interstate Corrections Compact.

On November 20, 2025, Ekong recorded an emergency statement from a control unit cell in which he announced that he is refusing all meals and his prescribed mental-health medication in protest of his ongoing solitary confinement. In that recording, he states that “the only option for me is for me to get out the hole or for me to die.”

Key facts he reports:

• He is being held in a “control unit” / “the hole” under a vague “safe keeping” label that he did not request.  
• He has no disciplinary charges that justify long-term segregation.  
• His mental illness is being “purposely neglected,” and the medication he is offered “doesn’t even work.”  
• He expects to lose phone and property access and views this message as his final statement to the outside world.

In addition, as of November 23, 2025, he reports that he has refused at least seven consecutive meals and that staff at Westville have not formally recognized his hunger strike. They have not logged his strike, have not taken his vitals, and have not followed any hunger-strike protocol. Ignoring a documented hunger and medication refusal in this way is itself medical neglect and places him at serious risk of harm.

This situation is the direct continuation of the retaliation and neglect that began in Virginia after his self-immolation at Red Onion State Prison. Under the Interstate Corrections Compact (Va. Code §§ 53.1-216–217, Art. IV(e)), Virginia remains the “sending state” and Indiana acts only as its agent; Ekong must be treated in a “reasonable and humane manner” and retain all legal rights he would have if confined in Virginia.

Virginia Code § 53.1-32 requires the Department of Corrections to provide for the “safekeeping, health, and welfare” of people in its custody, including necessary medical and mental-health services. That duty does not disappear when a prisoner is transferred out of state under the Compact.

I am asking your office to:

1. Immediately investigate the basis for Ekong’s placement in solitary / the control unit.  
2. Order his removal from segregation and ensure that any housing decision is lawful, documented, and non-retaliatory.  
3. Ensure he receives a meaningful mental-health evaluation and appropriate treatment, rather than being warehoused in isolation.  
4. Review and document all communications and agreements between VADOC and IDOC regarding his transfer and current status.  
5. Provide a written response outlining the specific steps you have taken within 5 business days.  
6. Obtain and review any Indiana DOC policies and procedures regarding hunger strikes, as well as Westville’s logs of refused meals and vitals checks (or lack thereof) for Mr. Eshiet, and address any failure to follow those policies as a serious violation of his rights.

Given OSIG’s statutory role in monitoring behavioral health and correctional services in state-operated programs (Va. Code § 2.2-309.1), I am asking your office to intervene before this becomes a preventable death. Ekong has made it clear that he believes his life depends on being removed from the hole. Your office’s failure to act would contribute to a foreseeable, preventable tragedy.

Then click below to open the Ombudsman form:

➡️ Open Ombudsman Complaint Form

🚑 Step 3: Report Medical Neglect to Healthcare Compliance Unit

Virginia still holds legal custody and is responsible for Ekong’s health. Use the HCU complaint form to demand oversight:

Form Guidance:

Nature of Complaint: Select “Neglect” and “Quality of Care”
Facility: List both “Red Onion State Prison” and “Westville CF”
Date of Incident: Use today’s date for ongoing neglect
Describe Complaint: Paste the text below
Why this office: The Health Care Compliance Unit of OSIG was created under Va. Code § 2.2-309.1 to oversee the quality of behavioral health and medical services in state-operated programs, including mental-health care for people in DOC custody and ICC placements.

EMERGENCY: Ongoing Medical and Mental-Health Neglect of Ekong Eshiet (VADOC #1842654 / IDOC #304103)

I am filing this urgent complaint regarding the deliberate indifference to the medical and mental-health needs of Ekong Eshiet, a Virginia prisoner transferred to Indiana under the Interstate Corrections Compact.

On November 20, 2025, Ekong recorded an emergency statement from a control unit at Westville Correctional Facility in which he announced that he is refusing all meals and his prescribed mental-health medication. He explains that his mental illness is being “purposely neglected,” that the medication he is offered “doesn’t even work,” and that he has been warehoused in solitary confinement under a pretext of “safe keeping” despite having no disciplinary charges.

As of November 23, 2025, he further reports that he has refused at least seven consecutive meals and that staff have not formally recognized his hunger strike, have not logged it, and have not conducted basic medical checks such as monitoring his vitals. Failing to treat a documented hunger and medication refusal as a medical emergency is a clear example of deliberate indifference to a serious medical need.

This is occurring in the context of:

• A prior suicide attempt in Virginia (self-immolation) driven by inhumane conditions and mental-health neglect.  
• A retaliatory interstate transfer that removed him from any meaningful mental-health pod or hospital setting.  
• Long-term isolation that is clinically contraindicated for someone in psychiatric crisis.

Under Virginia Code § 53.1-32, VADOC is required to safeguard the health and welfare of people in its custody, including the provision of necessary medical and mental-health care, even when that care is delivered in another state under the Interstate Corrections Compact. The Compact itself (Va. Code §§ 53.1-216–217, Art. IV(e)) also requires that transferred prisoners be treated humanely and retain all legal rights they would have if confined in Virginia.

Prolonged solitary confinement of a person with serious mental illness, combined with deliberate indifference to his medical needs, raises serious concerns under the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment and under disability rights protections in Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Documented concerns:

1. FAILURE to provide adequate, effective mental-health treatment for a known serious mental illness.  
2. USE of solitary confinement / control unit conditions despite his psychiatric history and current crisis.  
3. LACK of clear, charge-based justification for restrictive housing, raising concerns about retaliation rather than clinical need.  
4. FAILURE to coordinate appropriate care and placement under the Interstate Corrections Compact.  
5. FAILURE to recognize and medically monitor a reported hunger and medication refusal in accordance with any applicable hunger-strike policy.

I am demanding that VADOC, as the retaining state under the ICC, take immediate steps to:

1. Arrange an urgent, independent psychiatric evaluation for Ekong.  
2. Remove him from solitary confinement and place him in an appropriate mental-health setting.  
3. Review and adjust his medication regimen based on clinical need, not punishment or convenience.  
4. Investigate the role of both Virginia and Indiana officials in the decision to place and keep him in a control unit.  
5. Provide a written description of corrective actions taken within 48 hours, given the life-threatening nature of his current protest.

Solitary confinement combined with food and medication refusal is a medical emergency. As long as Virginia retains legal custody under the ICC, failure to intervene constitutes deliberate indifference.

Then click below to open the Healthcare Compliance form:

➡️ Open Healthcare Compliance Form

📧 Step 4: Email Officials — Use Both Tools

Ekong’s case crosses state lines, and so should our pressure. We encourage you to send your message through both of the options below — they reach similar targets, but work in different ways:

Option A: ActionNetwork — sends from a secure platform, shows your name/city, and tracks how many people have taken action. It automatically routes your letter to your Virginia or Indiana state legislators based on the ZIP code you enter, and also targets key DOC and oversight addresses in both states. Sometimes legislators filter or block emails from mass platforms, so we strongly encourage you to also follow up with a direct call or personal email.
Option B: Direct Email — opens in your email app, shows your real email address, and lands directly in the inbox of each official listed below. You can see, edit, and paste the text yourself before sending, which can help it get past filters and feel more personal.

If the form above doesn’t load, you can still take action here: open the ActionNetwork letter in a new tab .

— and —

👥 Who this direct email will go to

Indiana – Director Charlene A. Burkett, DOC Ombudsman Bureau (cburkett@idoa.in.gov)
Indiana – Ombudsman Bureau shared inbox (Ombud@idoa.in.gov)
Indiana – Warden Jason Smiley, Westville CF (jsmiley@idoc.in.gov)
Indiana – Deputy Warden Kenneth Gann, Westville CF (kngann@idoc.in.gov)
Indiana – Commissioner, Indiana DOC (rcarter@idoc.in.gov)
Indiana – Deputy Commissioner of Operations, IDOC (jstout@idoc.in.gov)
Indiana – Executive Director of Adult Facilities, IDOC (demmerson@idoc.in.gov)
Indiana – Executive Director of Classification, IDOC (dhaney@idoc.in.gov)
Indiana – Deputy Commissioner, Administration & Programs, IDOC (cblessinger@idoc.in.gov)
Indiana – Executive Director of Programs & Reentry Readiness, IDOC (jmather@idoc.in.gov)
Indiana – Executive Director Workforce Engagement, IDOC (nriley@idoc.in.gov)
Indiana – Chief Medical Officer, IDOC (abedford@idoc.in.gov)
Indiana – Quality Assurance Director, IDOC (vtaylor-wilcher@idoc.in.gov)
Virginia – Senator David Marsden (senatormarsden@senate.virginia.gov)
Virginia – Delegate Mike Jones (delmjones@house.virginia.gov)
Virginia – Delegate Karen Keys-Gamarra (delkkeys-gamarra@house.virginia.gov)
Virginia – Alexander Gerdes, Interstate Corrections Compact (ICC), VADOC (alexander.gerdes@vadoc.virginia.gov)
Virginia – VADOC Director and regional administration (chadwick.dotson@vadoc.virginia.gov, gregory.holloway@vadoc.virginia.gov)

Here is a more detailed email that reflects Ekong’s current crisis. You can copy, paste, and edit it in your own email client:

Dear [Official Name],

I am writing with urgent concern for Virginia prisoner Ekong Eshiet (VADOC #1842654 / IDOC #304103), who is currently in solitary confinement in a control unit at Westville Correctional Facility in Indiana.

On November 20, 2025, Ekong recorded an emergency statement from solitary in which he announced that he is refusing all meals and his prescribed mental-health medication in protest of his continued confinement in “the hole.” In that statement he says that “the only option for me is for me to get out the hole or for me to die.”

He reports that:
• he has no disciplinary charges that justify long-term segregation;
• he is being held under a vague “safe keeping” label that he did not request;
• his diagnosed mental illness is being “purposely neglected,” and the medication he is offered “doesn’t even work.”

This situation follows his earlier self-immolation in Virginia, which was itself a protest against racist abuse and mental-health neglect at Red Onion State Prison. Under the Interstate Corrections Compact, Virginia retains legal responsibility for his care, while Indiana officials are carrying out the day-to-day confinement.

I am concerned that this pattern of conduct violates the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment; Virginia’s statutory duty to provide for the safekeeping, health, and welfare of people in its custody (Va. Code § 53.1-32); and Virginia’s obligations as the sending state under the Interstate Corrections Compact (Va. Code §§ 53.1-216–217, Art. IV(e)), which require that prisoners transferred out of state be treated humanely and retain the legal rights they would have if confined in Virginia. Because Mr. Eshiet has a diagnosed mental illness, these conditions also raise serious concerns under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

I am urging you to do everything in your power to:
• remove Ekong from solitary / the control unit immediately;
• ensure he receives a meaningful mental-health evaluation and appropriate treatment in a non-segregation setting;
• review how this placement was approved and end any retaliatory use of solitary and transfers against him as a whistleblower.

Please treat this as a life-or-death situation and respond promptly with the steps you will take.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

When you’re ready, you can also use this one-click button. It will open your email app with all of the above recipients in the “To” field and a subject line filled in; you can then paste or edit the text you copied:

📬 Open Direct Email in Your App

Using both the ActionNetwork letter and your own direct email helps escalate this case on multiple channels. The more visibility, the harder it is for officials to look away.

Extra pressure if you live in Virginia: After you send the ActionNetwork letter, use whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov to find your state senator and delegate. Call their district or Richmond office and say something like:

“Hi, my name is [Your Name], and I live in [your city/county]. I just sent you a letter through the ActionNetwork platform about Virginia prisoner Ekong Eshiet, who is being held in solitary confinement in Indiana under the Interstate Corrections Compact. I’m calling to make sure you saw it and to ask what you can do to push VADOC and OSIG to get him out of the control unit and into a mental-health setting.”

Phone calls from constituents are much harder to ignore than mass emails, and they help turn this into an issue legislators know their voters are watching.

📺 We Got Ekong a TV — But He Still Needs Support

After months of pressure, Ekong finally received his personal property from Virginia — with one major exception: his television. Whether it was lost, destroyed, or deliberately withheld, this vital item never arrived.

Thanks to generous donors, we were able to buy Ekong a replacement TV — a small but powerful lifeline in the midst of long-term solitary confinement. It allows him to access news, religious programming, and brief moments of mental relief.

But the need doesn’t end here. Ekong still requires ongoing support for essentials like stamps, legal materials, medical co-pays, and basic commissary items that help him survive isolation.

If you’re able to contribute, please use the secure form below. Every dollar helps sustain Ekong and shows him he’s not alone.

✅ Let Us Know You Took Action

“As long as you struggle against abusive government individually, you have no power to affect them or their image. But brought together into a group united with other loved ones of imprisoned people… you have the power to make and take away the careers of those in power by exposing and challenging them publicly.”

— Kevin “Rashid” Johnson, A Call to Organize a Prisoner Support Network (2024)

Our strategy is about maximizing collective power — by flooding not just prison officials, but also oversight agencies and legislators with public pressure. Every call, email, and complaint is tracked so we can document not just patterns of abuse, but patterns of exposure and response from those in power.

Reporting your actions here helps us coordinate, escalate, and ultimately win justice for our loved ones and community members behind bars. Cryptpad is encrypted, secure, and anonymous; leaving us with a way to reach you is optional but helps us ensure each activist completes each set of campaign actions.

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