Gasping for Air

Cellblocks to Mountaintops

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 Prisons across the state were forced to evacuate, adding even more strain to an outdated infrastructure.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.

To watch our companion videos, read the transcripts, and to see our complete show notes with media links, sources, and references please visit our website: www.cellblockstomountaintops.com

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