Creating Positive Social Change with PRA

Conversations on Leadership is a series highlighting the leaders within Policy Research. In this series, guests share their thoughts on Policy Research’s work and culture and highlight how they are using the firm’s strategic plan to guide their work and advance the field.

In this episode, Sarah Desmarais, PhD, reflects on her first year as President of Policy Research, shares the highlights from her first year, how Policy Research’s strategic plan guides her work, the expansion of the firm’s research portfolio, and what’s next for her and the firm.

Read the transcript: https://www.prainc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/CoL4-Transcript-508.pdf

This episode features two team members at Policy Research. Senior Research Associate Samantha Zottola, PhD, and Senior Research Associate Lisa Callahan, PhD, discuss key takeaways from their recently finished project, “Understanding and Preventing Frequent Jail Contact.”

Data Points is an ongoing podcast series produced by Policy Research that discusses research for social change.

Episode transcript: https://www.prainc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/DataPoints-Frequent-Utilizers-Transcript-508.pdf

Project findings: https://www.prainc.com/resources/population-people-frequent-jail-contact/

This research was supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation through the Safety and Justice Challenge Research Consortium, which is managed by the CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance. The Safety and Justice Challenge seeks to reduce over-incarceration and racial disparities by changing the way America thinks about and uses jails. The research consortium advances criminal justice research grounded in the efforts and data of safety and justice challenge sites. The authors are solely responsible for the content of this podcast. Special thanks to the research team and participating sites for their work and engagement in this project.

This episode was co-produced and hosted by Holley Davis and co-produced, engineered, and edited by Elianne Paley.

This episode features two Research & Evaluation team members at Policy Research. Senior Research Associate Samantha Zottola, PhD, and Research Associate Kamiya Stewart, PhD, discuss key takeaways from their forthcoming paper, “Pretrial Risk Assessment, Risk Communication, and Racial Bias”

Data Points is an ongoing podcast series produced by Policy Research that discusses research for social change.

Transcript: https://www.prainc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/DataPoints-RiskAssessment-Transcript-508.pdf

Study link: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00938548231174908

This episode features two Research & Evaluation team members at Policy Research. Senior Research Associate Samantha Zottola, PhD, and Research Associate Kamiya Stewart, PhD, discuss key takeaways from Dr. Zottola’s recently published paper, “Comparing the Relationships Between Money Bail, Pretrial Risk Scores, and Pretrial Outcomes.”

Data Points is an ongoing podcast series produced by Policy Research that discusses research for social change.

Link to research paper: https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/lhb0000487

Link to episode transcript: https://www.prainc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/DP-MoneyBail-508.pdf

November is National Veterans and Military Families Month, a time to express our gratitude for the service of our nation's Veterans and military families. The theme for Veterans Day, November 11th is honor. In recognition of these observances, the Service Members, Veterans, and their Families Technical Assistance Center, commonly known as the SMVF TA Center, is reflecting on that theme of honor and the work that they do each day serving our nation's service members, Veterans, and their families.

This episode features three members of the SMVF TA Center team, Co-Director, Duane France, Project Associate Tish Di Leo, and Project Associate Chantel Boudreau. They discuss their service, their family’s service, and the work they do today as part of the SMVF TA Center. Duane and Tish are both retired Army non-commissioned officers and combat Veterans, and Chantel is a Navy Veteran.

Transcript: https://www.prainc.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/HonorServiceTranscript.pdf

This mini-series produced by Policy Research, titled Conversations on Leadership, explores the firm’s upcoming leadership transition. In May 2022, Senior Vice President Sarah Desmarais, PhD, will become the firm’s President; current President Pamela Clark Robbins will retire in December 2022. In three episodes, Conversations on Leadership explores the upcoming transition, the evolution of PRA over the past 35 years, and what the future holds for the two leaders and the organization.

In “Episode 3: Pam’s Reflection on 35 Years,” Ms. Robbins walks through some of the highlights from 35 years at Policy Research. The conversation covers the early days of Policy Research when the firm had one research grant, and how the work and culture have evolved over time.

Read the transcript: https://www.prainc.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/COL-Ep3-508.pdf

A new podcast mini-series produced by Policy Research, titled Conversations on Leadership, explores the firm’s upcoming leadership transition. In May 2022, Senior Vice President Sarah Desmarais, PhD, will become the firm’s President; current President Pamela Clark Robbins will retire in December 2022. In three episodes, Conversations on Leadership explores the upcoming transition, the evolution of PRA over the past 35 years, and what the future holds for the two leaders and the organization.

In “Episode 2: The Future of PRA,” Dr. Desmarais discusses her passion for research and evidence-based practices, how PRA’s research and technical assistance work will inform one another under her leadership, and her reflections on her first year on the job. In addition, Ms. Robbins shares her reflections on Dr. Desmarais's first year at PRA.

Transcript available: https://www.prainc.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/COL-Ep2-508.pdf

The Conversations on Leadership series explores PRA’s 2022 leadership transition. In May 2022, Senior Vice President Sarah Desmarais, PhD, will become the firm’s President; current President Pamela Clark Robbins will retire in December 2022. Conversations on Leadership explores the transition, the evolution of PRA over the past 35 years, and what the future holds for themselves and the organization.

In “Episode 1: The Leadership Transition,” Ms. Robbins discusses her initial search for a successor, the early conversations between her and Dr. Desmarais, and what we should expect over the coming months. Dr. Desmarais shares her history with PRA during her graduate work, how she felt about transitioning from academia to the private sector, and the transition plan that the two have worked hand-in-hand on developing.

Transcript available: https://www.prainc.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/COL-Ep1.pdf

This series focuses on topics that can help schools and communities successfully design and implement school responder models. This episode, Engaging Families, is a continuation of our School Responder Model Podcast Series. This discussion will feature Jeff Vanderploeg and Jeana Bracey from the Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut as well as Susan Graham, an accomplished family engagement specialist.

The series was produced by NCYOJ with support from the National Institute of Justice.

The NCYOJ originally developed and maintained this podcast. The NCYOJ was operated by Policy Research, Inc. and operated from 2001 to 2022 and was formerly known as the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice. The NCYOJ improved life opportunities for youth through systems and practice improvement initiatives.

This podcast should be viewed as a reference. It has not been updated since its publication. A transcript of this podcast is available at: https://www.prainc.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/NIJ_SRM_CHDI_EngagingFamilies-977140.pdf. This transcript has not been made 508 compliant. If you would like a 508 compliant version of this podcast’s transcript, please email [email protected].

This podcast was first shared in 2021.

This series focuses on topics that can help schools and communities successfully design and implement school responder models. This discussion will feature Jeana Bracey and Jeff Vanderploeg from the Child Health and Development Institute in Connecticut, as well as two additional guests from Connecticut, Erika Treannie, with Bristol Public Schools, and Tiffany Hubrins, with Wheeler Clinic. The four will discuss the role of schools as responders in the school responder model, or the R in the SRM.

The series was produced by NCYOJ with support from the National Institute of Justice.

The NCYOJ originally developed and maintained this podcast. The NCYOJ was operated by Policy Research, Inc. and operated from 2001 to 2022 and was formerly known as the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice. The NCYOJ improved life opportunities for youth through systems and practice improvement initiatives.

This podcast should be viewed as a reference. It has not been updated since its publication. A transcript of this podcast is available at: https://www.prainc.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/NIJ_SRM_CHDI_RinSRM-456309.pdf. This transcript has not been made 508 compliant. If you would like a 508 compliant version of this podcast’s transcript, please email [email protected].

This podcast was first shared in 2021.