This podcast blog will highlight news and information from and about the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.
In this follow-up episode, we continue our discussion on the concept of “desistance” with a very special guest: Dr. Laurel Harry, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. Sec. Harry talks about her career and about her interest in implementing desistance as a practical framework in the field of corrections.
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In this episode we discuss the concept of “desistance,” an idea which has been around for a while in academic criminology but is only now beginning to catch on among corrections practitioners and policy-makers. Dr. Bucklen describes what desistance is, discusses how to define and measure it, and explains its practical use as a complimentary measure to recidivism by correctional agencies.
Resources referenced in this episode:
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SCI Coal Township Supt. Tom McGinley kicks off this episode with a conversation about his facility. Later in the show, two of SCI Pine Grove’s original employees—Lt. Jason Townsend and Administrative Officer Jessica Purcell—join the PA Prisons and Parole Podcast to discuss the first 20 years of the facility, as well as its Young Adult Offender program.
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In this episode we talk with two key leaders at the PA DOC, Deputy Secretary Chris Oppman and Deputy Secretary Lucas Malishchak, about how the areas under their purview within the department use research and statistics to make better decisions.
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In this first episode of the re-launched podcast we talk with Dr. Bret Bucklen (PA DOC Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics) about what his office does and what value it brings to the department. We explore the importance of research and evaluation in corrections.
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