This podcast blog will highlight news and information from and about the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.
In the second part of this month’s series, we talk with Jason Stauffer, the PA DOC’s Supervisor of Assessment and Classification Services. Jason talks about his background in corrections and assessment, how the PA DOC uses risk and needs assessment, and specifically how the PA DOC uses their new Strong-R assessment instrument.
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In the first part of this month’s series, we talk with the team at Vant4ge, a company that produces a correctional risk/needs assessment tool called the Strong-R. We discuss what risk/needs assessment is, and also discuss its importance in the corrections field. The Vant4ge team talks about what new developments are happening in the risk/needs assessment industry.
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As we cross the midpoint in our prison tour around the Commonwealth, we meet with the superintendents of two eastern facilities: SCI Dallas and SCI Phoenix.
Dallas Supt. Jasen Bohinski discusses the unique programs at his facility—including the highly popular horticulture program—as well as the Veterans Service Unit, which was the first in the DOC. Later in the episode, Phoenix Supt. Joseph Terra discusses the challenges of transitioning from SCI Graterford to Phoenix and the lessons learned, as well as the benefits of Phoenix—the newest facility in our system.
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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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