Author: Roradmin

Life in the new pod turns out to be more positive than Randy anticipated, but it’s far from perfect. In reflecting on the everyday challenges he faces in prison, Randy offers a valuable guide to the good life, whether you’re in a supermax prison or in the free world: “I’m not going to wait for life to tell me when I can be happy”. Before he made the move to the new pod, Randy used to make the phone calls for this podcast from a cordless phone in his cell. Now he has to call from a wall phone in the main area of the pod, where it can get quite noisy. Check out for yourself the background sounds of the everyday life inside a supermax prison.

Recorded just before Randy ‘s recent transfer to the new pod, he reflects on the pecking order in prison, the wolves who run the pod, the sheep who follow, and the guys like Randy who walk alone and stand alone.

Red Onion Randy features the life and times of Randall Via, who is currently serving 1,214 years in Red Onion State Prison for capital murder. Directed and produced by Michael Garbutt. Website and podcast design by Nishant Pandav. Sound editing and music by Julia Jooyeon Park. Title music by Joni Park and Julia Jooyeon Park.

Randy’s been transferred to a general population unit at Red Onion. It’s a jungle full of threats and lurking dangers. There’s so much on the line, so much Randy could lose if he’s forced to fight. His friend Pitt, who lives on the pod, has put the word out: “He is a killer. Mess with Randy, and he’ll eat ya up.”  But will that be enough to help Randy avoid a confrontation with the gangbangers? Pray for me, says Randy. 

Red Onion Randy features the life and times of Randall Via, who is currently serving 1,214 years in Red Onion State Prison for capital murder. Directed and produced by Michael Garbutt. Website and podcast design by Nishant Pandav. Sound editing and music by Julia Jooyeon Park. Title music by Joni Park and Julia Jooyeon Park.

Randy is going to be transferred to another part of Red Onion with a lower security level.  But it’s not all good news for our host. The new pod is a lion’s den, full of violence and gang activity. Gangbangers often  force other inmates to pay for the use of the phone, which is  Randy’s only means to make his podcasts. What’s he going to do?  He sure isn’t going to back down to bullies, but he doesn’t want to spoil his charge-free record  by getting into a fight.  It’s a  dilemma.

Fear is an inescapable part of the human condition, and few places are more driven by fear than a supermax prison.  In this episode Randy examines what fear is, how it affects us, and the choice we have: face it or run from it. And what is Randy’s innovative approach to this paralyzing emotion? “Slap it with positivity!” 

In prison, everyone needs to believe in something, whether it’s religion, an idea, a dream, or a sense of self. Randy explains what religious faith means for him, taking us on his long journey from cynicism to belief. He sure gets strength from his faith — and his sense of who he is.  As  Randy says, “I won’t give up. I might fail but I will fail swinging.” 

Prisoners at Red Onion come up with some ingenious ways to  pass the time, including  gambling with some unusual stakes. Randy also introduces us to his all-time favorite game: Dungeons and Dragons. But Randy’s version of D&D is not exactly the same as the one most people know!  You’ll be impressed by the passion and creativity of D&D Red Onion-style.

Abused and neglected at home, made to feel an outsider at school, Randy rejected the education system that appeared to reject him. Between truancy and juvenile detention Randy never got much of a formal education but he did manage to pass his GED (General Education Development), a set of academic tests equivalent to a high-school diploma. Randy always had a love of reading, and by the time he found himself in adult prison he had developed an enduring love of learning. Despite the lack of resources, Randy has continued his journey of self-education as best he can. 

In this powerful episode Randy describes what it feels like to be sentenced at the age of 20 to life in prison without the possibility of parole. It’s been a long journey through numbness and depression to find  the hope he constantly fights to keep alive. Twenty-three years after he was sentenced, Randy still faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison.

When he was an angry, abused adolescent, Randy discovered that crime was like a drug. Soon, he was  hooked on it, yearning for the intense high that he believed only crime could give him.  When crime led to him being sent to a juvenile  correctional center, his one desire was to get out and commit more crimes. Only later did he come to realize that like other addictions, crime can destroy the addict’s life — and the lives of those around them.