Past Work
Cellblocks to Mountaintops
“Cellblocks to Mountaintops” is a podcast, narrated by Phil Stockton, and produced and created by Lydia Smith. It delves into how America addresses violence, defines justice, and seeks accountability through the compelling journey of one man. Years after committing a horrific crime, Sterling Cunio confronts the full ripple effects of the harm he caused. Through artistic expression, human connections, and inspired by restorative justice principles, he undergoes a remarkable personal transformation during decades in prison. Check it out here
The Bucket
The Bucket was an original performance piece created entirely within the walls of Oregon State Penitentiary, Oregon’s only maximum security prison. The play was an hour long, and consisted of several pieces written by inmates and staff around their experience of Solitary Confinement. The Bucket was awarded first place by PEN America in the drama category in the Prison & Justice national writing competition. You can watch it here.
Within These Walls
An evening of thought-provoking presentation and conversation focused on the nature of solitary confinement in Oregon and nationally. This evening took place in Portland, Oregon on Wednesday, September 28th of 2016.
The evening consisted of two parts: Presentation – An hour of staged events, including: Monologues, scenes and poetry created by inmates who have experienced or are experiencing solitary confinement, and other artists, presented by former inmates and local actors.
Music was provided by local musicians and former/current inmates. A visual arts component was presented, including thematic artwork by inmates as well as a commissioned work by local visual artist Alyson Provax.
The evening concluded with an hour of conversation with the community about the nature and state of solitary confinement in Oregon and the U.S. today. This part of the evening included a panel of state legislators, past members of the incarcerated community, law enforcement officials and members of affected communities, with the objective of having an open and constructive conversation about solitary confinement, long term-effects and opportunities for the future.
Listen to a KBOO radio interview about this event on Prison Pipeline.
Read the article about the original theatre piece created at the Oregon State Penitentiary that inspired this evening, from the Willamette Weekly.
Discussion Participants included :
Bobbin Singh – Executive Director, Oregon Justice resource Center
Jennifer Williamson – State Representative,House Majority Leader
Cpt. Joseph Etter – Oregon Department of Corrections
Karuna Thompson – Chaplain, Oregon State Penitentiary, Featured in “Chaplains” documentary on PBS.
Avrohom Perlstein – Chaplain, Oregon State Penitentiary