The PA Prisons and Parole Podcast

With Autism Awareness Month approaching in April, the PA Prisons and Parole Podcast welcomed SCI Albion Unit Manager Steven Soliwoda to discuss the Neurodevelopmental Residential Treatment Unit (NRTU), a unit designed for individuals on the autism spectrum. Soliwoda explains how his unit differs from a normal housing unit, why he’s grateful for his excellent team and why a unit like this is needed...

SCI Cambridge Springs features the Pennsylvania Correctional Industries Optical Lab, a one-of-a-kind program that produces all the eyeglasses in the DOC and for some community partners. In this month’s episode of the podcast, Optical Lab Supervisor Tony Rentz visits to share about his shop, including the certifications and skills his workers earn and the success many of his former workers find in...

As businesses across Pennsylvania struggle to find qualified employees, DOC Workforce Development Specialist Dorenda Hamarlund offers them a solution: hire reentrants. In this episode of our podcast, Hamarlund discusses her role and how she educates employers on the many benefits of second-chance hiring. Visit our Workforce Development page for more information.

We frequently promote the great volunteer work done by staff and reentrants in our Bureau of Community Corrections, but there is so much more to the BCC. Director Michael Wenerowicz joins the podcast to highlight the work of his staff and how they strive to support reentrants upon release.

DOC Statewide Veterans Coordinator Michael Carrington joins the podcast for a discussion all about veterans in the DOC — including those who work and those who live in our facilities. Michael discusses his role in the agency, how the DOC supports its employee veterans, the many benefits of a Veterans Service Unit and the impact of community partners, including the PA Department of Military and Vet...

William Bush is the Automotive Technology Mechanical and State Inspection Instructor at SCI Mercer, where he teaches his students everything they need to know to earn a state inspection license — and so much more. In this month’s episode of the PA Prisons and Parole Podcast, Bush discusses the various skills his students learn, what opportunities are available to them and why employers should give...

Cpt. Dennis Reichert was recently named supervisor of the DOC’s new Recruitment and Retention Division, which is focused on bringing in the best and brightest new corrections officers, parole agents and monitors. In this episode, Cpt. Reichert discusses his background, his new role, misconceptions about the work and the many benefits of a career in the DOC. If you’d like to join our team in any ca...

While students head back to school this month, the learning never stopped in the DOC as educational programs continue year-round with students working towards their diplomas, certifications and degrees. SCI Waymart Principal Michelle Lipko shares about the exciting opportunities available to the incarcerated students at her facility, including how her team views their role in the reentry process a...

For 50 years, Villanova University has educated incarcerated students at SCI Graterford/SCI Phoenix, where they take the same programs and courses from the same professors as their peers in Philadelphia. Villanova University at SCI Phoenix Director Katherine Meloney joined the podcast to reflect on the recent graduation — which saw administrators and professors from Villanova in attendance — and w...

SCI Laurel Highlands Registered Nurse Nick Freedman began his nursing career in his 50’s and his weight-lifting career in his 60’s — yet he’s rocked them both and become a record-breaking power lifter in the process. In this episode, we shine the spotlight on one of the DOC’s most interesting and inspiring employees and learn about Nick’s journey so far, what’s next for him and what advice he has...

SCI Muncy features one of five Veterans Service Units in the DOC, and recently it started a new project: a Victory Garden. In this episode, Unit Manager Celeste Brucklacher joins the podcast to explain what a Victory Garden is, what vegetables they’ve got growing so far, and what they have planned for the future of this unique program — including how veterans on the inside will soon be helpi...

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.

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.

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...

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 —...

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.

In this episode, a team of Industrial Engineers from Lehigh University (now affiliated with a start-up company called Optamo) talk about the Inmate Assignment and Decision Support System (IADSS) that they built for PA DOC.  This innovative system is the first of its kind in the country.  We also talk with current and former staff from the PA DOC’s Office of Population Management (OPM), w...

Introducing a new series of Lockup Lowdown: Pracademically Speaking, a series hosted by Dr. Kristofer “Bret” Bucklen, DOC’s director of planning, research and statistics. Bucklen is also the agency’s lead for BetaGov. In this first episode, meet Angela Hawken, PhD, a professor at NYU and founding director of BetaGov. Later in the episode, Bureau of Community Corrections Dir...