The NCJA Podcast

In this episode, join Dr. Abigail Tucker as she discusses the

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Alaska's Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO) program is an innovative and long-standing initiative providing essential public safety services in rural communities. Overseen by the Department of Public Safety but run locally through grants awarded to regional organizations, VPSOs are first responders in rural Alaska, trained in law enforcement, search and rescue, fire safety and emergency response. Join NCJA Program Manager Jessica Grisler and VPSO Division Director James Hoelscher to hear firsthand insights on the unique challenges and rewards of this critical public safety role. 

In this episode, join NCJA Program Coordinator Iyana Crawford for a conversation with Andre Peart, CEO and Founder of Untapped Solutions, an innovative application being used in the reentry space. Untapped Solutions is a reentry platform that connects nonprofits, employers and job seekers to build stronger communities through technology and opportunity.  Founded by formerly incarcerated, recently homeless individuals from Black and Brown communities, Untapped Solutions’ mission is deeply personal. Through this discussion, explore the importance of reentry in the criminal justice system and learn how Untapped Solutions is revolutionizing the way agencies are delivering reentry services.

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 Learn about the powerhouse approach of trust-based relational intervention (TBRI) as NCJA Program Manager Demaxia Wray speaks with two Texas-based practitioners—Darius Payne and Troy McPeak—about implementing the model in the juvenile justice space. In this lively discussion, discover how the model helps empower vulnerable youth through connection, how it can be used to combat generational trauma, and hear from Darius and Troy about the impact of the model— on themselves and the youth it’s designed to serve.  

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In this episode, learn from a true trailblazer in the field of language access as Dr. Omara Rivera-Vázquez shares impactful insights with NCJA Program Manager Demaxia Wray about the importance and power of language access and the creation of language access plans, the necessity of centering equity in this work, and the power of reframing language and language accessibility using the framework of language justice.  

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In episode 34, Program Manager Amanda Blasko speaks with Dr. Kim Gorgens from the University of Denver about the prevalence of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in criminal justice, how having a TBI affects an individual’s success in the system and beyond, and how the Colorado Brain Injury Model, which has been adapted by other states, came to fruition. 

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In this episode, learn about the pressing public safety priorities and criminal justice trends highlighted by governors in their annual state of the state speeches. Join National Governors’ Association (NGA) Program Director Ken Hardy and NCJA Program Manager Amanda Blasko as they chart the importance of the state of the state speeches, especially for the public safety community, and discuss how these public safety priorities and trends have evolved over the last several years. 

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Are you interested in knowing what participating in Community Violence Intervention (CVI) work is really like?Tune in to episode 32 of The NCJA Podcast and hear from NCJA Program Managers Demaxia Wray and Anica Stieve as they describe their unique expertise from the field and discuss the role of collaboration, the meaning of success in this work, the significance of shared language, and the importance of designing and implementing CVI programs that holistically respond to violence, including the systemic and social factors that drive crime. 

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Interested in learning more about evaluating one of your funded programs? NCJA Center for Justice Planning Director Allison Badger and Program Manager Elisa Nicoletti discuss the basics of program evaluation, including how to balance equity concerns, common misconceptions about evaluation, how to support evaluation from a State Administering Agency (SAA) perspective and what to expect when undergoing a program evaluation. 

In this episode, Dr. Thaddeus Johnson and Dr. Natasha Johnson, professors at Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, speak with NCJA Program Manager Amanda Blasko about law enforcement’s use of facial recognition technology, or FRT. This engaging discussion begins with an overview of the use of FRT by law enforcement across the country, then delves into specific findings from the duo’s landmark study investigating FRT use and its impact on racial disparities in arrests. Learn about the dangers of FRT use as well as the potential public safety benefits and listen as Thad and Natasha describe the research still needed in this space, and what can and must be done to achieve equitable outcomes with this technology.