Draft:Randall Via
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Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest policy, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. PrisonAudio (talk) 13:35, 29 May 2025 (UTC)
Randall Via (Red Onion Randy) (born c. 1978) is an American inmate and podcast host best known for his appearance in the HBO documentary Solitary: Inside Red Onion State Prison and for producing The Red Onion Randy Podcast, a show recorded from within the Virginia Department of Corrections. He is currently serving a sentence of 1,214 years at Keen Mountain Correctional Center in Virginia.
Early Life and Conviction
[edit]Via was born in Virginia and experienced a troubled upbringing, including poverty and early exposure to violence. In the late 1990s, he was convicted of armed robbery and capital murder and sentenced to life imprisonment plus over 1,200 years. He spent the majority of the next two decades in solitary confinement at Red Onion State Prison.
Media Appearance
[edit]In 2016, Via was featured in the HBO documentary Solitary: Inside Red Onion State Prison, which explored daily life inside one of Virginia’s supermax prisons. The film included interviews with Via and focused on his personal experiences with isolation, violence, and personal transformation.[1]
Podcast: Red Onion Randy
[edit]In 2020, Via began producing The Red Onion Randy Podcast from inside prison, in collaboration with Australian academic Dr. Michael Garbutt. The podcast offered firsthand commentary on incarceration, personal growth, and mental resilience in solitary confinement. In 2024, production of the podcast was taken over by the media platform Prison Audio. As of 2025, the show has released more than 160 episodes and holds a 4.9-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.[2][3]
The podcast has received attention for its candid tone and introspective content. Via’s work has also led to the creation of a prison-themed cookbook titled You Gonna Eat Dat?, published in 2024.[4] A memoir is currently in development.
Legacy and Impact
[edit]Via is one of the few incarcerated individuals in the United States to host and regularly update a podcast from within prison. His work has contributed to public discourse on solitary confinement and has offered rare insight into the lives of long-term prisoners.