Retired chief U.S. probation and pretrial services officers Tony Anderson, Belinda Alexander-Ashley, Ph.D., and Yador Harrell discuss their personal experiences of racial bias in their lives and careers, their reactions to the killing of George Floyd and other unarmed Black men and women by police officers, and their suggestions for alleviating racial discrimination in the probation and pretrial services workplace.

Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt, professor of psychology at Stanford University and MacArthur “genius” award recipient explains that although our brains are “wired” to see differences, research shows that self-awareness and thoughtful and deliberate decision making can help end the subtle and subjective discrimination we see and experience in our personal lives and workplaces.

U.S. probation and pretrial services officers January Welks and Jennifer Simone discuss how the pandemic has called for new ways of thinking and working, in some cases leading to positive change in both their professional and personal lives. Officers Welks, Simone, and colleagues across the country, on the front line of the pandemic, share the adjustments they make to remain healthy and safe while continuing to keep the wheels of justice moving. Clinical psychologist Guy Bourgon, a second time guest, reacts to their stories and describes how knowing your "why" and being proactive, predictable, and people-focused can help officers manage crisis. He explains how being forced to implement new practices can move organizations and individuals past the inertia that impedes change, making them stronger and better.

Host Mark Sherman talks with bank robber turned Georgetown law professor Shon Hopwood about how the system can help and hurt an inmate’s return to society. Shon’s unusual legal journey began during a twelve-year stint in federal prison for robbing banks. While there, the U.S. Supreme Court granted review of two of his petitions, giving his life an unexpected turn. While on supervised release, Shon overcame many of the obstacles that stand in the way of most inmate’s successful reentry into society, to include finding a good job and attending the University of Washington School of Law on a Gates public interest scholarship. Today, he is a member of the bar, teaches constitutional and criminal law at Georgetown University Law School, and represents prison inmates before the federal courts. As a criminal justice reform advocate, he also lobbied successfully for the 2018 passage of the First Step Act.

Host Mark Sherman talks with Judge Nancy Gertner (ret.) of Harvard Law School, Dr. Francis Shen and Dr. Judith Edersheim of Massachusetts General Hospital's Center for Law, Brain, and Behavior, and FJC education attorney Cassandra Snyder about a unique educational initiative developed by the FJC and Harvard that is helping judges, pretrial services officers, and probation officers think through, in a science-informed way, the complex issues they confront every day, and develop alternatives that might serve as an antidote to the revolving door of the criminal justice system.

Chief U.S. Pretrial Services Officer Christine Dozier of the District of New Jersey has become known for her unique philosophy that “reentry begins at arrest.” Chief Dozier served in that role for 15 years before retiring in October 2019. During that time she transformed her agency from being a traditional provider of pretrial services, to one on the cutting edge of innovation not just in pretrial work, but in in criminal justice more generally. Chief Dozier’s approach has enabled the District of New Jersey’s pretrial services office to become a leader in release rates and successful outcomes for individuals on pretrial supervision. She has taken a systems view, illustrating that an individual’s success on pretrial release can have a positive impact on their sentence, reentry to the community following incarceration, and post-conviction supervision. Host Mark Sherman talks with Chief Dozier about the present and future of federal pretrial services, and what she learned as a leader over the course of her tenure.

In this episode of “Off Paper” Clark Porter talks about his journey and his work assisting returning citizens to make the difficult transition from prison to community. Clark Porter was arrested for robbing a post office in St. Louis at age seventeen in 1986. He was sentenced to thirty-five years in federal prison and ended up serving fifteen years. While on parole he received his bachelor’s degree in social work from Washington University in St. Louis. Soon after that, he obtained a master’s degree in social work from St. Louis University. Ultimately, Clark was hired as a community resources specialist with the U.S. Probation Office in the Eastern District of Missouri—the same office that supervised him while he was on parole.

Chief U.S. Probation Officer Connie Smith and Chief U.S. District Judge Ricardo Martinez, both of the Western District of Washington, will discuss the roles of the officer who conducts the presentence investigation and the sentencing judge; individualized sentencing and avoiding unwarranted sentencing disparities; and the importance of taking a science-informed approach in the presentence and sentencing process.

On this episode of Off Paper, host Mark Sherman talks to Dr. Alisha Moreland-Capuia, Kate Desmond, and Keith Murphy, who work together on the Multnomah County Department of Community Justice’s Smart Supervision Project—an effort to gather and use neuroscientific, culturally specific, trauma-informed research and information in the department’s work.

On this episode of Off Paper, host Mark Sherman talks to Dr. Robert Kinscherff, an individual whose career weaves together many of those threads. Dr. Kinscherff is a clinical forensic psychologist and attorney with more than thirty years of experience in forensic mental health. Mark’s discussion with Dr. Kinscherff explores the many facets of his training and experience and his observations on important issues in supervising justice-involved individuals.