Broadcasting World Wide From a Prison Cell: The Rise of the Chainz 2 Changed Podcast
(Note: The author of this article, Zach Schmidkunz, is the co-creator and former co-host of the Chainz 2 Changed podcast.)
Deep within the walls of the North Dakota State Penitentiary sit rows upon rows of cells. One of these cells, however, is not like the others. Not even close. Depending on the time of day, the door might be closed with a sign that says “recording in progress.” Other times of day, music and laughter can be heard coming from the cell. What kind of place is this?
Inside cell 103, otherwise known as “the booth,” the walls are lined with black soundproofing squares and there is podcast recording equipment in the room. This is home to the Chainz 2 Changed Podcast, which was created by Antonio Stridiron and Zach Schmidkunz and made its debut August 14, 2023.
The show has hosted several high-profile guests, including North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong. Schmidkunz and Stridiron like to joke about locking guests in a cell for interviews. When Armstrong’s security insisted on crowding inside the tight booth, Schmidkunz spent the episode teasing the bodyguard, nicknaming him “Mr. Baywatch.”
According to NDDOCR Director Colby Braun, this booth provides a rare window to the outside world.
“It gives people an opportunity to better understand prison,” Braun said, “and, hopefully, to see those inside as more than the offense that brought them there.”
That driving force is exactly what Schmidkunz and Stridiron want to share.
“We wanted the world to know that there are so many men and women in prisons that have changed their lives for the better, and have some amazing stories of change that need to be heard,” Schmidkunz said.
What started out as just a thought turned into a six-year journey when Schmidkunz and Stridiron approached Braun with the idea. The pitch line that ultimately won Braun over, according to the two residents, was that Stridiron doing this by himself was like a chocolate ice cream cone, Schmidkunz doing it by himself was just a vanilla ice cream cone, but if you put the two together, it would be like the twist ice cream cone from McDonald’s.
While most maximum-security residents might petition Braun for better food or a comfortable mattress, these two fought for a podcast.
“I didn’t want to get in their way, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t really understand what it took to do a podcast, and I didn’t have the time to research it myself,” Braun said. “So, I told them they needed to figure it out.”
Schmidkunz did just that, drafting a business plan, and within weeks, community partners climbed on board to fund the project. Led by the North Dakota Council on the Arts and the F5 Project, Prairie Public Broadcasting also joined.
Today, the show is available anywhere you get your podcasts, pulling in over 20,000 downloads across all 50 states and 40 countries.
Releasing these episodes to the public supports a clear mission for the state.
“If nearly everyone who enters prison is eventually going to come home, I want them coming home better prepared to be a productive neighbor,” Braun said.
Comments