Pracademically Speaking

Latest Episodes:

Episode 22: Little Scandinavia (Dr. Jordan Hyatt) Apr 30, 2026

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What happens when a Pennsylvania prison unit is built around dignity, normalization, and human-centered design—and then tested with real science? Recorded onsite inside SCI Chester’s nationally recognized “Little Scandinavia” unit, this episode features Dr. Jordan Hyatt (Drexel University) sharing the philosophy behind the model and early results from a randomized controlled trial on violence, misconducts, and staff wellbeing.

Episode 21: PA DOC Strategic Plan (Randee Brant) Mar 23, 2026

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The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections recently developed a new five-year strategic plan – a roadmap for becoming a more intentional, data-driven organization. This episode features a discussion with Randee Brant (Chief of Staff for the PA DOC) about why the department chose this moment to develop a strategic plan, how the goals and measures were built, and what it will take for the plan to move the organization forward over the next five years.

Episode 20: Evaluation of In-Prison College Courses (Dr. Sarah Tahamont) Mar 04, 2026

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Results are in from the most rigorous evaluation to date of Pell-funded college programs in prison. In this episode, Dr. Sarah Tahamont (University of Maryland) joins Pracademically Speaking to unpack findings from Pennsylvania’s randomized controlled trial of Second Chance Pell—and what the evidence really says about recidivism, employment, and the limits of impact at scale.

Episode 19: Evidence-Based Corrections Policy Feb 02, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Dr. Bucklen discusses what it means for a program, policy, or practice in corrections to be “evidence-based.” This label gets applied frequently to all sorts of programs, policies, and practices in corrections but less examined is the strength and quality of the evidence. Dr. Bucklen also discusses cost-benefit analysis, and why effectiveness alone isn’t the finish line. This episode lays out practical advice for corrections leaders and policymakers to become better consumers of the research and science in order to truly become evidence-based.

Episode 18: Personal Growth Program Evaluation (Amber Petkus) Nov 05, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss a recently completed evaluation of the Personal Growth program for technical parole violators. The guest on the show is Dr. Amber Petkus, joint post-doctoral fellow with Penn State University and the PA Department of Corrections. We also talk with Dr. Petkus about her experience as a post-doc at the PA DOC. She reflects on her time with us as she prepares to move on.

Episode 17: PADOC Evaluations of TCs, SIP-HOPE, and Residential Relocation Sep 05, 2025

Show notes

In this episode we revisit three previously conducted evaluations by the PA Department of Corrections: 1) Therapeutic Communities (TCs); 2) the SIP-HOPE pilot program; and 3) a residential relocation pilot program. These evaluations highlight the use of multiple rigorous evaluation methodologies (randomized controlled trial, regression discontinuity, and propensity score matching) for attempting to understand the real causal impact of these initiatives/programs.

On this episode you’ll learn more about these three initiatives/programs, the findings from the evaluations, and what the implications are for policy and practice.

Episode 16: Staff Wellness (Kayla Franklin) Jun 09, 2025

Show notes

Staff wellness is an under-appreciated component of corrections historically. The field is just now starting to pay more careful attention to this important topic, but how do we measure the effectiveness of staff wellness initiatives? Outcomes in this area tend to be a bit more squishy than say recidivism rates or in-prison assault rates. In this episode we speak with Kayla Franklin, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections recently hired Staff Wellness Coordinator. Kayla helps us understand what staff wellness looks like in corrections, and also how to think about evaluating and measuring success in this area.

Episode 15: Cost-Benefit Analysis of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Dr. Bret Bucklen discusses a new report released by his team this month, which is a cost-benefit analysis of the use of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT). The study compares the benefit-to-cost ratio for four different types of MATs that are currently used by the PA Department of Corrections: Revia, Vivitrol, Suboxone, and Sublocade. Revia (pill form) and Vivitrol (shot form) are referred to as “antagonist” MATs; Suboxone (pill form) and Sublocade (shot form) are referred to as “partial agonist” MATs. How do the costs (including the potential cost of diversion in prison) and benefits (including recidivism reduction and overdose death reduction) stack up for these various forms of MAT? This episode explains what MAT is, how it is used within the department, and the results from this new cost-benefit analysis study.

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