You’ve probably heard of supermax prisons. They’re the places where society puts the people it’s most afraid of, usually behind three or four layers of steel and concrete. But there is a specific kind of quiet that exists inside Red Onion State Prison, a facility carved into a remote mountain in Wise County, Virginia. If you've ever gone down the rabbit hole looking for a red onion prison documentary, you likely found Kristi Jacobson’s 2016 film, Solitary.
It’s a brutal watch.
Honestly, it’s not your typical true crime fix. There are no flashy reenactments. No dramatic swells of orchestral music to tell you how to feel. It’s just the sound of heavy doors slamming and the voices of men who haven't touched another human being in years. It’s uncomfortable. It's supposed to be.
Why the Red Onion Prison Documentary Feels Different
Most prison films focus on the "why"—the crime, the trial, the DNA evidence. This documentary doesn't care about that. Well, it cares, but it isn't the point. It focuses on the "how." How does a person stay sane when they are locked in an 8-by-10-foot cell for 23 hours a day?
Red Onion is a level 6 facility. That’s the highest security level in the Virginia Department of Corrections. When Jacobson got her cameras inside, she captured something that most people—even those who follow prison reform closely—rarely see: the sheer psychological weight of total isolation.
You see guys like Randall, who has spent over a decade in "the hole." He talks to the camera with a level of self-awareness that is genuinely startling. He isn't some caricature of a "bad guy." He’s a person who has been shaped, or perhaps warped, by the environment. The film shows the guards, too. They aren't portrayed as monsters. They're workers. They go in, they do their shifts, they go home. But the toll it takes on them is written all over their faces. It’s a systemic heaviness.
The Reality of Solitary Confinement
Let’s be real for a second. Solitary confinement is a controversial tool. Proponents say it's the only way to keep staff and other inmates safe from the "worst of the worst." Opponents, including many human rights organizations, call it torture.
The United Nations’ Nelson Mandela Rules suggest that more than 15 days in solitary constitutes "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment." At Red Onion, people stay there for years. The documentary shows the "step-down" programs intended to help inmates transition back into the general population, but you can see the skepticism in the inmates' eyes. If you’ve been alone in a box for five years, a "workbook" on social skills feels like a sick joke.
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What Actually Happens Inside Those Cells?
The film captures these tiny, mundane details that stay with you. The way food is slid through a slot. The way an inmate uses a small mirror to see who is walking down the tier. The screaming.
The screaming is constant.
One inmate describes it as a "symphony of madness." You have people who are already mentally ill being placed in a setting that would make a healthy person lose their mind. It’s a feedback loop.
Does It Actually Make Us Safer?
This is the big question the red onion prison documentary forces you to ask. Most of these men will eventually be released. Not all of them, but many. If you take someone and deprive them of human contact, sunlight, and meaningful activity for a decade, and then drop them at a bus station with a $50 check, what do you think is going to happen?
Data from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other legal watchdogs suggest that recidivism rates for those coming out of supermax isolation are significantly higher than those coming out of general population. It’s not about being "soft on crime." It’s about the basic mechanics of human psychology. You can’t "rehabilitate" someone by breaking them.
The Architecture of Isolation
Red Onion wasn't built for rehabilitation. It was built for control.
The prison opened in 1998. It was part of a wave of "tough on crime" legislation in the 1990s. The design is meant to minimize contact. Even the recreation yards are often just small, fenced-in cages where an inmate can see a sliver of the sky.
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In the documentary, you see the physical toll. The pale skin. The twitching. The way eyes struggle to focus on something more than ten feet away because they’ve spent years staring at a wall that’s only arm's length away. It’s a sensory deprivation chamber on a massive, industrial scale.
The Role of the Guards
We don't talk enough about the correctional officers. In Solitary, you meet officers who are clearly trying to maintain their humanity. They talk about the "vibe" of the place. They know when the energy is shifting toward a riot or a suicide attempt.
They are locked in, too. Eight to twelve hours a day. They breathe the same stale air. They hear the same screaming. One officer mentions how he has to "decompress" before he can even talk to his family after a shift. The documentary subtly argues that this system doesn't just dehumanize the prisoners; it hardens everyone who touches it.
Common Misconceptions About Red Onion
People often think Red Onion is only for serial killers or high-profile terrorists. That’s not true. While there are certainly dangerous individuals there, many inmates end up at Red Onion because of "institutional infractions" at lower-security prisons.
Maybe they got into a fight. Maybe they were caught with contraband. Once you are in the supermax system, it is incredibly difficult to get out. It’s a bureaucratic labyrinth. You have to "prove" you are no longer a threat, but how do you prove you can behave in a group when you are never allowed to be in a group?
The "Step-Down" Program
Following a lawsuit and significant pressure from activists, Virginia implemented a "step-down" program at Red Onion. The documentary shows some of this. It’s supposed to be a path back to the general population.
Inmates go through stages. They have to attend classes. They have to show they can interact with others without violence. It sounds good on paper. But in practice, as the film shows, it’s a slow, agonizing process that often feels arbitrary to those inside. One mistake—even a minor one—can send you right back to stage one.
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Why This Movie Still Matters in 2026
Even though the film came out years ago, the issues haven't gone away. If anything, the conversation around criminal justice reform has become more polarized. We see headlines about "defunding" or "law and order," but we rarely look at the actual machinery of the system.
The red onion prison documentary serves as a witness. It doesn't offer easy answers. It doesn't tell you that these men are "good." It just shows you what we, as a society, are doing in these remote corners of the country. It’s about the ethics of out of sight, out of mind.
Actionable Insights and Next Steps
If you’ve watched the documentary or are planning to, don't just let it be "misery porn." Use it as a jumping-off point to understand how the system actually functions.
- Check the Data: Look into the "Mandela Rules" and see how your state’s correctional facilities compare to international human rights standards. Many states still have no limits on the duration of solitary confinement.
- Support Reentry Programs: The biggest hurdle for people leaving places like Red Onion is the first 72 hours. Organizations like the Fortune Society or local grassroots groups focus on housing and job placement for the formerly incarcerated.
- Follow the Legal Reform: Keep an eye on the ACLU National Prison Project. They are constantly litigating cases regarding the conditions at Red Onion and similar facilities like Wallens Ridge.
- Write to Representatives: If you live in Virginia—or any state with a supermax—ask your representatives about oversight. Most prisons operate with very little public transparency.
- Diversify Your Media: If you liked Solitary, watch 13th on Netflix or listen to the podcast Ear Hustle. They provide a broader context of how we got here.
The reality of Red Onion isn't going to change overnight. It’s a massive, taxpayer-funded institution. But the first step to changing any system is actually looking at it. Not looking away when things get uncomfortable. Not assuming that because someone is behind bars, they cease to be a person.
The documentary Solitary forces that gaze. It makes you sit in that 8-by-10 cell for 90 minutes. And honestly? That's the least we can do.
Next Steps for Further Research:
- Search for the 2024 Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) annual report to see current statistics on the use of "Restrictive Housing" (the modern euphemism for solitary).
- Investigate the "Stop Solitary" movement online to find state-specific legislative efforts aimed at banning long-term isolation for juveniles and the mentally ill.
- Read the 2012 HRW (Human Rights Watch) report specifically titled "The Use of Solitary Confinement in Virginia Prisons" to see the historical context that led to the filming of the documentary.