During this episode, Karhlton Moore, who took over as director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) in February, explains what attracted him to BJA and where he sees the agency going in the future. Read the transcript.

This podcast episode was produced by and discusses the work of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy Solomon and Senior Advisor Eddie Bocanegra team up in this Justice Today podcast episode to discuss community violence intervention. Bocanegra discusses his own experience with gang violence and incarceration and his work in OJP to help the Biden Administration tackle community-based violence. This episode was recorded before the FY 2022 Office of Justice Programs Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative grant solicitation closed. 

Research indicates that Native American persons experience crime victimization at higher rates than non-Native people. Furthermore, the unique position of American Indian and Alaska Native tribes as both sovereign nations and domestic dependents of the U.S. creates jurisdictional complexities in responding to crime, justice, and safety. Senior social and behavioral scientist Christine (Tina) Crossland discusses NIJ’s research on these topics, especially on the prevention of violence towards American Indians and Alaska Natives. Communications Assistant Stacy Lee Reynolds hosts. Read the transcript.

This podcast episode was produced by and discusses the work of the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

Find more information on the research and programs referenced in this episode. 

Gregory Dutton, a physical scientist at NIJ, and science writer Jim Dawson continue their conversation on the microbiome: what it is, how it applies to forensics, and the evolution of its role in forensic science. Read the transcript.
Listen to the first half of Jim and Greg’s microbiome discussion. 

This podcast episode was produced by and discusses the work of the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

Reading and Resources from the National Institute of Justice

• The Forensic Microbiome: The Invisible Traces We Leave Behind 
• NIJ-sponsored forensic microbiome research
• NIJ website

A nationally recognized expert discusses America’s 3,800 drug and treatment courts, which are transforming the way the justice system addresses people with substance abuse and addiction issues. Read the transcript.

This podcast episode was produced by and discusses the work of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

Gregory Dutton, a physical scientist at NIJ, joins science writer Jim Dawson to discuss the microbiome: what it is, how it applies to forensics, and the evolution of its role in forensic science. Read the transcript.
Listen to the second half of Jim and Greg's conversation.

This podcast episode was produced by and discusses the work of the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

Reading and Resources from the National Institute of Justice

• The Forensic Microbiome: The Invisible Traces We Leave Behind 
• NIJ-sponsored forensic microbiome research
• NIJ website 

What is reentry? Why is it important? And what research is being done in this field? National Institute of Justice Journal Editor Beth Pearsall hosts a conversation on reentry with NIJ staff  Senior Science Advisor Angela Moore, Senior Social Science Analyst Marie Garcia, and Social Science Analyst Eric Martin. Read the transcript.

This podcast episode was produced by and discusses the work of the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

Reading and Resources from the National Institute of Justice

• Reentry Research at NIJ: Providing Robust Evidence for High-Stakes Decision-Making
• Recidivism Forecasting Challenge
• Specialized Smartphones Could Keep Released Offenders on Track for Successful Reentry 
• Role of Human Services During Community Supervision
• Child Support and Reentry
• Recruitment, Assessment, and Retention in the Direct Care Workforce for Individuals With Criminal Records: A Comprehensive Model Approach 
• Formerly Incarcerated Women and Reentry: Trends, Challenges, and Recommendations for Research and Policy
• Overview of Offender Reentry
• NIJ's Role Under the First Step Act
• CrimeSolutions
• NIJ awards on this topic
• NIJ website

Chris Poulos shares lessons learned during his remarkable personal journey from incarceration to lawyer and White House Fellow to senior corrections policymaker in the State of Washington.

Episode speaker:

• Chris Poulos, Director of Person-Centered Services, Washington State Department of Corrections

This podcast episode was produced by and discusses the work of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

During this episode, two people who not only have studied reentry from incarceration but experienced it themselves offer their unique perspectives.

Episode speaker:

• Angel Sanchez, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Visiting Fellow
• John Bae, BJA Visiting Fellow

This podcast episode was produced by and discusses the work of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

Desistance is the process of individuals ceasing engagement in criminal activity. It may sound simple but it is quite complex, and the more we understand it, the better equipped we are to help accelerate the process before people are incarcerated or once they leave prison or jail. National Institute of Justice Journal Editor Beth Pearsall hosts a conversation on this topic with Senior Social Science Analyst Marie Garcia, Senior Advisor Ben Adams, and Social Science Research Analyst Kaitlyn Sill. Read the transcript.

This podcast episode was was produced by and discusses the work of the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice

Reading and Resources from NIJ:

• Desistance From Crime: Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice
• CrimeSolutions 
• NIJ awards on desistance
• NIJ website

Speaker: Amy L. Solomon, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General

In this episode, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon introduces the Office of Justice Programs Justice Today podcast series.