This podcast blog will highlight news and information from and about the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.
In honor of Second Chance Month, Flagger Force Vice President of Human Resources Jen Strobel visits the podcast to discuss her organizations efforts in hiring reentrants, what they’ve learned so far and why it is so important to offer that second chance.
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With religious holidays for multiple faiths on the horizon, what better time to meet with DOC Religious Services Administrator Rev. Ulli Klemm. Ulli discusses how chaplaincy staff and volunteers encourage faith in our institutions, how they support individuals of all faith and what he’d like to see change someday. Spoiler alert: it’s a surprising answer coming from a former minister.
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On this month’s episode, Parole Manager Penny Sines explains how parole agents help reentrants find success and overcome the various barriers they face upon reentry. Spoiler alert: It’s not like what you’ve seen in the movies. Penny also discusses the new program with local community partners — STRIVE — and shares a memorable reentrant success story.
For more on STRIVE, check out our recent press release.
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Welcome to the debut episode of the Pennsylvania Prisons and Parole Podcast! On our first episode, we check in with Tim McKinney, general industries supervisor at the PA Correctional Industries Vehicle Restoration Plant at SCI Forest, and learn about his facility and workers. The Vehicle Restoration Plant held its grand opening on Jan. 26, 2020, and Tim explains how the first two years have been — including the biggest challenge presented by COVID-19.
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In this episode, we talk to the PA DOC’s first ever winner of the Staff Innovations Award, Parole Agent Louis Zayon, about his lead in cleaning up a large open air drug market in Philadelphia. We also talk with Stanford University psychiatrist Keith Humphreys about what we know and don’t know on effective criminal justice responses to the opioid problem.
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