Resonate is a podcast series from Rancho La Puerta, hosted by Barry Shingle. In each episode, the show explores heart-centered thoughts on well-being and life from expert presenters whose core message aligns with the motto at Rancho La Puerta: “Siempre Mejor,”—Always Better.

Cellblocks to Mountaintops director Lydia B. Smith joined Barry Shingle last month for an inspiring conversation about her journey on the Camino de Santiago and how that experience helped inspire her to showcase the impact of transformation and restorative justice in prison.

Take a look behind the scenes as Director Lydia B. Smith and Host Phil Stockton discuss the making of Cellblocks to Mountaintops. 

They chat about how this project came together, Lydia's original vision, and Phil's experiences teaching theater in prisons. They also delve into the importance of the arts in prison and the ways in which the current criminal justice system fails both incarcerated individuals and survivors.

We are happy to introduce the Making Amends podcast which was recorded at Oregon State Penitentiary around the same time, we started filming Cellblocks to Mountaintops and features some of the same people - most notably Anthony Pickens. Listen to Episode 1of Making Amends to hear even more about Anthony’s journey of redemption. 

Violence was a constant in the lives of both Anthony and Theron, starting at a very young age. Once in prison, they began to question their allegiance to their gangs and their reliance on violence. What motivated that introspection and change?

  www.makingamendspodcast.com

This episode is a video. If your podcast player does not support videos, please go to our website to watch: www.cellblockstomountaintops.com

Watch Thana Alexa and four-time Grammy award-winning musician, Antonio Sánchez perform “The Bucket” with a surprise guest of honor at the Jack Revue jazz club in Portland, Oregon.

In Episode 8, A Path Forward, hear about the many twists and turns in Sterling’s life.

This episode is a video. If your podcast player does not support videos, please go to our website to watch: www.cellblockstomountaintops.com

Watch Sterling receive startling news as his legal battles come to a head.  Sterling delivers a passionate performance of his poem,  “Society Imagined.”

Tune into Episode 8, A Path Forward, to hear how Sterling’s fate unfolds. 

Sterling’s new circumstances bring both joy and challenges in ways he hadn’t anticipated.  Meanwhile, legal advocates, community groups, and nonprofit organizations actively work to create alternatives to incarceration by facilitating opportunities for mediation, accountability, and transformation.

Correction:  At the end of the episode, we mention the East Bay Arts Alliance.  The correct name is the Eastside Arts Alliance.

See Grammy Award winner Antonio Sanchez in Performing The Bucket.  He also explores the implications of solitary confinement on prisoners.

This episode is a video. If your podcast player does not support videos, please go to our website to watch: www.cellblockstomountaintops.com

To hear where Anthony’s sharp turn went, listen to Episode 7, Gasping for Air. 

This episode is a video. If your podcast player does not support videos, please go to our website to watch: www.cellblockstomountaintops.com

Hear how and why the parole board ruled as they did and other big news for both Anthony and Sterling in Episode 7, Gasping for Air.

Everything stopped in 2020 with the global Covid-19 pandemic, but in Oregon, another catastrophe was underway… unprecedented wildfires. Prisons across the state were forced to evacuate, adding even more strain to an outdated infrastructure. The twists and turns of Sterling’s legal battles finally come to a head.

Watch Sterling’s attorneys and loved ones react to the results of the hearing in The Decision.  See Anthony’s life take a sharp turn in Yellow Fire Hydrant.

Correction: Four prisons were evacuated to Oregon State Penitentiary in September of 2020 not three as mentioned in the podcast.  Coffee Creek Correction Facility, a women’s prison also has an Intake Center which processes both men and women.  The men from Coffee Creek Intake Center were evacuated to Oregon State Penitentiary.

Featured in this episode:

Sterling Cunio

Karuna Thompson, Former Prison Chaplain and Victim Liaison at the Oregon Department of Corrections

Alleen Brown, Independent Investigative Reporter covering climate change and its impact on communities with a focus on prison populations

Ryan O’Connor, Criminal Defense Attorney

Cheryl Cunio

Professor Aliza Kaplan, Professor of Lawyering and Director of the Criminal Justice Reform Clinic at Lewis & Clark Law School.

Chloe Williams, Criminal Defense Attorney

Anthony Pickens

Companion Videos for this Episode:

Video 7A - The Decision

Video 7B - Yellow Fire Hydrant

This episode is a video. If your podcast player does not support videos, please go to our website to watch: www.cellblockstomountaintops.com

Hear from Sterling’s legal team about the intricacies of his case while they prepare for his prison term hearing. The team focuses on how best to present Sterling’s story of rehabilitation to the parole board.

In Episode 6, Standards of Decency, hear renowned activist Bryan Stevenson at the U.S. Supreme Court making the case for juvenile justice reform