Quick Update: January 2026

Quick update from Randy, apologies for the pause. No new episodes this month but we will be back and better in February.

We’re back with another video from the California Department of Corrections. Today on the podcast, Randy explains a video we recently received showing a nurse being assaulted in a women’s correctional center.The Red Onion Randy Podcast, Featuring the life and times of Randall Via, currently serving 1,214 years in Virginia for capital murder and armed robbery.💥 Get More on Patreon:Don’t forget to visit our Patreon for exclusive content! You’ll get:An extended conversation about this episode between Randy and his producerAll 155 episodes of the podcast, 100% commercial-freeAn early copy of Randy’s upcoming cookbook, “Ya Gonna Eat That?”, launching soon on Amazon🎙️ Credits:Founded by Michael Garbutt and Randall ViaField & Development Producer: Paulie DoyleSound and Video Editing by Prison Audio

Eric Estrada is currently incarcerated in California State Prison, Corcoran. He is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.Eric made a dramatic change in his life in 2012 when he left his old lifestyle to focus on religion. Since then Eric has facilitated many programs inside the prison including his own podcast called Change-Talk.  The Red Onion Randy Podcast, Featuring the life and times of Randall Via, currently serving 1,214 years in Virginia for capital murder and armed robbery.💥 Get More on Patreon:Don’t forget to visit our Patreon for exclusive content! You’ll get:An extended conversation about this episode between Randy and his producerAll 155 episodes of the podcast, 100% commercial-freeAn early copy of Randy’s upcoming cookbook, “Ya Gonna Eat That?”, launching soon on Amazon🎙️ Credits:Founded by Michael Garbutt and Randall ViaField & Development Producer: Paulie DoyleSound and Video Editing by Prison Audio

We’re back with another episode! If you’ve been following the show recently, you know we’ve just received some videos from the California Department of Corrections through a FOI request we completed last year. So if you’re listening on anything other than YouTube, make sure you check out the podcast on YouTube this week, especially so you can see the video Randy is talking about.The Red Onion Randy Podcast, Featuring the life and times of Randall Via, currently serving 1,214 years in Virginia for capital murder and armed robbery.💥 Get More on Patreon:Don’t forget to visit our Patreon for exclusive content! You’ll get:An extended conversation about this episode between Randy and his producerAll 155 episodes of the podcast, 100% commercial-freeAn early copy of Randy’s upcoming cookbook, “Ya Gonna Eat That?”, launching soon on Amazon🎙️ Credits:Founded by Michael Garbutt and Randall ViaField & Development Producer: Paulie DoyleSound and Video Editing by Prison Audio

We’re back with another episode. Today Randy is back by himself to discuss a petition that is currently online that he’s hoping you will sign.In an unprecedented move, inmates and COs in Virginia are coming together to ask for the resignation of the people running the Virginia Department of Corrections.Will the newly elected governor of Virginia step in to make some changes, we’ll have to wait and see.Here are the links to the petitions,https://www.change.org/p/demand-the-resignation-of-chadwick-dotson-and-david-robinson?source_location=searchhttps://www.change.org/p/fire-dave-robinson-from-virginia-department-of-corrections?source_location=search

Today on the podcast, we’re joined by Kyle “Razor” Hulbert, inmate #1165519, currently incarcerated at Buckingham Correctional Center.In this episode, Kyle reads a remarkable piece he wrote titled “I Want to Give the World Nachos,” a story that blends vulnerability, imagination, and hard-won insight from behind the walls. His writing offers a rare window into the emotional landscape of long-term incarceration, told with honesty, self-reflection, and a surprising sense of humor.You can explore more of Kyle’s work here:🔗 Kyle’s Substack, Cheshire Madnesshttps://substack.com/@kylehulbert?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page🔗 Listen to the Podcast on Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6aW5LznVvOxl1Z7ENSsHbV?si=39afad8afc574c2dIf you'd like to reach Kyle directly, you can write to him through JPay by searching his name and number: Kyle Hulbert, #1165519.

In this episode, Randy speaks with Celeste Blair, an artist, writer, and prison reform activist who was released from federal prison just over a month ago. Celeste shares her experiences and offers a woman’s perspective on the differences between federal and state prison.This is part two of a special series, In the Absence of Paint.You can find Celeste on Instagram @celestemblair or on YouTube at In the Absence of Paint.The Red Onion Randy Podcast, Featuring the life and times of Randall Via, currently serving 1,214 years in Virginia for capital murder and armed robbery.💥 Get More on Patreon:Don’t forget to visit our Patreon for exclusive content! You’ll get:An extended conversation about this episode between Randy and his producerAll 155 episodes of the podcast, 100% commercial-freeAn early copy of Randy’s upcoming cookbook, “Ya Gonna Eat That?”, launching soon on Amazon🎙️ Credits:Founded by Michael Garbutt and Randall ViaField & Development Producer: Paulie DoyleSound and Video Editing by Prison Audio

In this voicemail episode, Randy answers a question that was recently left by someone from Austin, Texas, who wants to know what it would be like for a 50-year-old man to go to prison.The Red Onion Randy Podcast, Featuring the life and times of Randall Via, currently serving 1,214 years in Virginia for capital murder and armed robbery.💥 Get More on Patreon:Don’t forget to visit our Patreon for exclusive content! You’ll get:An extended conversation about this episode between Randy and his producerAll 155 episodes of the podcast, 100% commercial-freeAn early copy of Randy’s upcoming cookbook, “Ya Gonna Eat That?”, launching soon on Amazon🎙️ Credits:Founded by Michael Garbutt and Randall ViaField & Development Producer: Paulie DoyleSound and Video Editing by Prison Audio

In this episode, Randy speaks with Celeste Blair, an artist, writer, and prison reform activist who was released from federal prison just over a month ago. Celeste shares her experiences and offers a woman’s perspective on the differences between federal and state prison.This is part one of a special series, In the Absence of Paint.You can find Celeste on Instagram @celestemblair or on YouTube at In the Absence of Paint.The Red Onion Randy Podcast, Featuring the life and times of Randall Via, currently serving 1,214 years in Virginia for capital murder and armed robbery.💥 Get More on Patreon:Don’t forget to visit our Patreon for exclusive content! You’ll get:An extended conversation about this episode between Randy and his producerAll 155 episodes of the podcast, 100% commercial-freeAn early copy of Randy’s upcoming cookbook, “Ya Gonna Eat That?”, launching soon on Amazon🎙️ Credits:Founded by Michael Garbutt and Randall ViaField & Development Producer: Paulie DoyleSound and Video Editing by Prison Audio

We’re back with the final installment of Cellie Adventures. If you haven’t listened to parts one and two yet, make sure you check those out first.In this episode, Randy gives an update on how life is going now that he’s lost his single-cell status.The Red Onion Randy Podcast, Featuring the life and times of Randall Via, currently serving 1,214 years in Virginia for capital murder and armed robbery.💥 Get More on Patreon:Don’t forget to visit our Patreon for exclusive content! You’ll get:An extended conversation about this episode between Randy and his producerAll 155 episodes of the podcast, 100% commercial-freeAn early copy of Randy’s upcoming cookbook, “Ya Gonna Eat That?”, launching soon on Amazon🎙️ Credits:Founded by Michael Garbutt and Randall ViaField & Development Producer: Paulie DoyleSound and Video Editing by Prison Audio