Shows / Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Randall Via, known as Red Onion Randy, is currently incarcerated at Buckingham Correctional Center in Virginia. From inside prison, Randy shares honest, unfiltered conversations about daily life behind bars, prison culture, personal growth, accountability, and survival.
The Red Onion Randy Podcast gives listeners a rare, first-hand look at incarceration through storytelling, reflection, and real talk from someone living it every day.
Episodes
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Conor McGregor, Success Killer
It's not enough to reach your goals. You have to know what to do next, as Randy explains in his analysis of Conor McGregor.Red Onion Randy features the life…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Time, The Cruel Mistress
When you're doing time, you don't want time to do you. But as Randy explains, that's easier said than done. Red Onion Randy features the life and times of…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Hospital Visit
After long delays, Randy finally gets admitted to hospital for a biopsy. It turns out to be much more than just a medical procedure.Red Onion Randy features…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Home Sweet Home
You might live in a maximum security prison without the possibility of parole, but you can still dream about having a home of your own.Red Onion Randy features…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Tuco Salamanca
A listener who goes by "Tuco Salamanca" (the dealer from Breaking Bad) writes Randy to say that he's currently on bail awaiting sentencing for distribution…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Frustration
Randy has a lot to look forward to: his transfer to Keen Mountain Prison has been approved and he's finally going to get a biopsy to investigate his medical…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Cellies
Your cellmate probably won't be your soulmate, which is why you need to follow Randy's rules to manage the challenge of living up close and personal with a…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Randy Gets a Transfer
After twenty years at Red Onion, Randy is granted a transfer to another prison. Where is he going, and how is his life going to be different?Red Onion Randy…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
My Brother Jason
Randy hasn’t seen his brother Jason for a quarter of a century but the bond of brotherly love remains strong.Red Onion Randy features the life and times of…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Randy Answers Questions from Children and a Boxer
Randy answers wide-ranging questions .. from a wide range of listeners! Red Onion Randy features the life and times of Randall Via, who is currently serving…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
The Murder
In this episode, recorded shortly after the body of Gabby Petito was found in Wyoming, Randy reflects on the murder he committed in the town of Stanardsville…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
The World Outside the Window
A ride in the prison van to a nearby town for a medical visit gives Randy a rare first-hand view of the outside world.Red Onion Randy features the life and…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Music
Randy talks about the role of music in the lives of prisoners, and its impact on their emotions. He also introduces Nashville-based singer-songwriter and Red…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Prison Medical
In the United States, access to medical services lags behind the rest of the developed world, but in Red Onion, access is even more difficult, as Randy's own…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Childhood: The Unforgettables
Amidst all the violence and neglect he experienced as a child living in a trailer park, Randy still treasures the memory of small acts of kindness. Red Onion…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Randy's Prison Rules Concluded
Following on from Episode 66, Randy takes us through the rest of the rules that make up his essential inmate survival guide. Red Onion Randy features the life…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Prison Boyfriends
A female listener who has an inmate boyfriend wonders about his motives. Can she trust him? Randy offers his advice.Red Onion Randy features the life and times…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Elise and The Magic Well
Randy launches his first children's story: Elise and the Magic Well. Available at Amazon.com: Elise and the Magic Well eBook : Via, Randall: Kindle StoreRed…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Randy's Prison Rules
If you want to survive in prison, you better know the rules: Randy's twenty-two prison rules. Red Onion Randy features the life and times of Randall Via, who…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Mother
Randy reflects on how much his mother suffered, and how he struggles to come to an understanding of the reasons why she neglected him. It hasn't been easy. It…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Father
Randy's father was violent, abusive and then largely absent. Recently, he's reconnected with his Dad, and reflects on his complex feelings towards the man who…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Guns
Guns and gun culture play a central role in American life. Randy reflects on his own relationship to guns and on how his views have changed over time.Red Onion…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Dream of Freedom
Sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, Randy shares his dreams of a new life in the free world. If you were Randy, what would you do after 23…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Mental Health
Mental health is a huge issue at Red Onion, as it is for many people in the free world. Randy reflects on how he’s grown up from a kid who was willing to…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
The Child Molester: a Closer Look
In responding to a listener's question about the treatment meted out to child molesters and other sexual offenders by inmates, Randy expresses his dilemma--he…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
The Appeal: No Backing Up
Randy finally gets to talk on the phone to appeals lawyer Jon Sheldon. Does he have grounds for an appeal? There's good and there's bad news, says the…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
The Podcast: Behind the Scenes
Marking the first anniversary of the launch of the podcast, Randy describes how it all started, how episodes are made, and the impact it's had on his life. A…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Lockdown
Since Covid-19, people everywhere have become familiar with the experience of lockdowns, but a lockdown in Red Onion is an altogether different thing. This…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
The Appeal: Jonathan Sheldon
After serving 23 years of a sentence of life without the possibility of parole, Randy believes he may have grounds to mount a successful appeal. He needs a…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Life is Beautiful
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…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
An Alpha Male
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…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Killer in the Jungle
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…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Gangbanger Danger
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…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Fear
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…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Beauty from the Ashes
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…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Dungeons and Dragons
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…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
My Education
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…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Life Without the Possibility of Parole
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…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Addicted to Crime
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…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Prison Mash
It’s illegal for inmates to produce or consume alcohol in prison, but that doesn’t stop them from trying. In this episode, Randy describes some popular recipes…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Visitation
In the 23 years since Randy has been incarcerated at Red Onion, he's never received a single visitor. It's not because family and friends aren't prepared to…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
The Coffee Dare
Back when Randy was still in "seg", he worked alongside other prisoners, folding paper napkins around sporks. It offered a rare opportunity to socialize and…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Trust No-one?
Friendships presuppose trust, but in prison you can't trust anyone. In this episode, Randy explores the contradictory nature of prisoners' interactions with…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Don't Call Me Ghost: Prison Nicknames
Slinky, Ghost, LA, Murder, Headbuster ... Names matter in prison, and almost everyone has some kind of nickname. In this episode "Red Onion" Randy explains why…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Recipes for Kevin
Regular listener Kevin emailed Randy to ask Randy if he had have any special recipes he could share? He certainly did. Here are Randy's all-time favorites…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
A Practical Guide to Prison Life
If you or a loved one face the prospect of incarceration, this is a must-listen episode!. Randy answers a question from a listener who wants to know what…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
To Fight or not to Fight
Randy finds himself in a situation where there seems no way to avoid a fight. "I'm actually proud of myself", says Randy, "because I remained calm, collected…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Fight Club
As a child, Randy's ambition was to learn martial arts so no one would be able to hurt him again. In this episode, Randy describes the intoxicating feeling he…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Gladiator School
At a very early age Randy knew that if he was going to survive, he'd have to fight, and fight hard. Exposed to a world of childhood violence, he drew on…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
A 42-Year-Old Virgin
Randy almost lost his virginity back when he was a teenager, after absconding from a co-ed juvenile detention facility with two teenage girls. Almost, but not…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
The Wild Horses of My Childhood
Randy recalls the time in his childhood when he lived in a boys' camp in the woods. One day, while walking in the hills, he encountered a herd of wild horses…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Lace 'Em Up! Footwear on the Inside
Why is the color of inmates' shoes at Red Onion always white? What does it mean when one guy tells another to "Lace 'em up"? Find out in Randy's comprehensive…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Keefe Commissary versus Prison Issue
The Keefe Supply Company is the leading provider of clothing and shoes (and food, personal care items and electronics) to American prisons. Despite the…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Stone Cold Warriors
In a wide-ranging, impassioned monologue, Randy shares his thoughts on police violence, systemic racism, the negative influence of TV cop shows, and the ways…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Racism and Red Onion
This episode presents a unique personal account of the enduring challenge of systemic racism in American society. Randy describes his experience of…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Falling Out with Lee Boyd Malvo
Randy describes his friendship -- and subsequent falling out -- with Lee Boyd Malvo, one of the two notorious "Beltway Snipers" who terrorized Washington DC…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Interfaith Action for Human Rights: Gay Gardner Interview
Randy introduces an interview with Gay Gardner from IAHR -- Interfaith Action for Human Rights -- a Washington DC-based organisation that advocates and…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Christmas Holiday (Not) Special
Randy reflects on Christmases, past and present in prison. When he was a child he never really had a chance to celebrate much, and now he chooses not. Just…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Randy Answers Your Questions
Randy answers your questions about his responsibility for the crimes he committed; his favorite film and TV shows; his relationships with the prison warden. He…
- Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison
Working for the Man
What kinds of jobs are open for inmates in Red Onion? What's the rate of pay? And what's the absolute worst job in prison? Find out the answers from Red Onion…