This podcast blog will highlight news and information from and about the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.
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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This month, the PA Prisons and Parole Podcast visits two of our most unique facilities: deep in the heart of a city with SCI Chester and out in the middle of rural PA with Quehanna Boot Camp.
Our first guest is Maj. Scott Carter, who breaks down how QBC operates and the overall philosophy behind its approach to treatment and rehabilitation. Later in the episode, Supt. Gina Clark discusses the history of SCI Chester, as well as the unique challenges and opportunities presented to it by being in the midst of an urban environment. Clark also shares about Chester’s famed Little Scandinavia unit and how the project has gone so far.
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