Charlottesville prison approves changes to ‘dehumanizing’ uniforms

Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail Warden Martin Kumer said the change was intended to “restore a modicum of dignity” to the incarcerated men and women under his watch.

For decades, female prison inmates have worn a red, one-piece uniform. The prison bathrooms are not private, and the jumpsuits require women to completely remove the uniform to use the bathrooms.

Kumer told The Daily Progress that the jumpsuits would be replaced by light gray, two-piece uniforms that the prison already has in stock by the end of September.

By the end of the fiscal year, Kumer hopes to be able to change the men's uniforms as well.

Currently, the men in the prison wear black and white striped one-piece uniforms, like those popular in the 19th century.

Kumer said he and others, including community members and prison staff, have been considering changing the uniforms for several years.

The decision to make the change came after members of the Charlottesville Area Justice Coalition, a local organization that connects criminal justice advocacy groups, met with Kumer.

The idea came to member Jean Knorr when she was visiting someone in prison. Knorr said she knew the man personally and he had only committed a minor offense, but when she saw him handcuffed and wearing the prison's cross-country uniform, her perception of him changed.

“I saw him like that and thought, 'My goodness, he's got to be guilty,'” Knorr recalled. “He looked like a convict with those horrible black and white stripes, and he hadn't even been to court yet.”

She and Sam Heath, another leader of the Justice Coalition, raised the issue with Kumer and he agreed to take action.

Heath told The Daily Progress he was not surprised by the decision because Kumer is “a kind man.”

Knorr, however, said she was surprised at how receptive Kumer was to the suggestion. A prison warden, she said, would not normally be so forthcoming.

“I think this is a really positive decision by Kumer, and I think it shows that he is aware of the impact of the old uniforms. I think they are meant to be demeaning and dehumanizing,” Knorr said.

Heath said members of her coalition have received numerous complaints from current and former inmates who have told them the jumpsuits are uncomfortable, restrict their privacy and – particularly the men's uniforms – negatively affect how they view themselves and others.

“It's also a public piece. Anyone who is arrested for anything, whether they're guilty or not, is shown on screen in their uniform and with all the history that goes with it,” Heath said.

The Charlottesville Area Justice Coalition was founded a year ago. It meets every two weeks and has 180 people subscribed to its email list. Although the organization is made up of individuals committed to criminal justice reform, it was founded primarily to help criminal justice groups in the area better communicate with each other. If a group is looking for advice, funding, or advertising for an upcoming event, the coalition serves as a platform to get the word out.

“We found that communication between the groups was not good,” Knorr said. “The coalition helps people learn what other groups are doing on criminal justice issues and provides them with an opportunity to support each other in their efforts.”

The uniform change at the Charlottesville prison is just the coalition’s latest success.

The first campaign was to reduce phone charges for inmates in prison. The coalition had hoped to abolish phone charges altogether, but was able to reduce prices.

“The result was that each inmate gets four free phone calls a week and the price of additional calls was reduced from 12 cents to 6 cents,” Knorr said. “We had hoped they would all be free, but we have made good progress in that regard.”