Al Jazeera Podcasts.

Today, incarcerated people are setting themselves a light in one U.S. prison.

If I have to, I don't mind setting my truck on fire again. This time I would set my whole body on fire.

The racism and abuse pushing them to put their lives on the line.

I'm Malika Bilal and this

is The Take.

Ikong Ishett is in his 20s, and these days his voice is heavy with frustration and exhaustion.

Before I have to stay up there and do the rest of my time up here, I would rather die before I stay up there because every day I'm dealing with discrimination.

He's one of several men at Virginia's Red Onion State Prison, who reached a breaking point.

So extreme, he attempted to set himself on fire.

On September 15, 2024, a young African man, E. Kong, E. Chayette, and his cellmate

Trayvon Brown set themselves on fire at Virginia's remote Supermax red understate prison.

The news first came from prison radio, a network run by people who are themselves

incarcerated. E. Kong suffered third-degree burn along his legs and was hospitalized until

September 24th for inpatient pharmacare, including skin graft. It was a few weeks later when

E. Kong called prison radio himself and explained what drove him to such a desperate act.

It's a few, he started throwing stuff around and he grabbed my holy Quran, my noble Quran, and throw it on the ground.

So I started yelling like, man, I ain't gonna not, I said, pick my Quran up off the ground.

That is my holy scripture. He said, if my grind up off the ground. That is my whole description.

He said, if you don't like it, come on fungus right.

We reached out to Virginia's Department of Corrections,

asking about the reports of self-immolation at Red Onion State Prison.

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