The NCJA Podcast
Produced with support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the NCJA Podcast series chronicles discussions with a variety of guests about promising criminal justice practices and programs, including interesting ideas from around the country on a variety of important and timely topics. Listeners can tune in for new ideas, lively discussions and/or to determine how to adjust or adapt a Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) program for improved success.
We hope that you will share these podcasts with others that may find them valuable. Podcasts will be released on a regular basis.
View the latest podcast episode below and click on a topic category to view podcast episodes relating to that topic.
Latest Episode of The NCJA Podcast
Episode 43: Part 2: Understanding Local Implementation with the Juvenile Assessment Center
In this companion episode to our previous podcast on the assessment center model, we highlight the Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC) in Colorado. Hear from Executive Director Sarah Troy, board member and former JAC client Kaelie McNeilley and NCJA Program Manager Anica Stieve about how youth are referred and comprehensively assessed through this supportive hub to prevent involvement with juvenile justice and child welfare systems, and how stakeholder support plays a critical role in the success of this important community-led resource.
Click on a topic category below to view podcast episodes relating to that topic.
Understanding Byrne JAG & Strategic Planning
Program Evaluation: Getting Started and What to Expect
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 concerns of fairness, common misconceptions about evaluation, how to support evaluation from a State Administering Agency (SAA) perspective and what to expect when undergoing a program evaluation.
Setting Priorities for Strategic Planning
In this episode of the NCJA podcast, Program Manager Amanda Blasko discusses priority setting with Allison Badger, Director of the Center for Justice Planning. This conversation highlights the importance of setting priorities within the strategic planning process, pinpoints the integral components of stakeholder engagement and data, and provides advice on navigating board and stakeholder dynamics and the impact of long-term grantees on this stage of the strategic planning process.
A Conversation with BJA - Program Areas and the Byrne JAG Solicitation
Following the release of the Byrne JAG Solicitation, NCJA Program Director Allison Badger speaks with Tarasa Napolitano from the Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) about the Byrne JAG areas of emphasis and priority areas for this administration and how these should be considered by SAAs as they develop their Byrne JAG strategic plans and applications for potential subawards. This episode will provide insight into the development of the solicitation as well as helpful information on new areas of criminal justice states can explore as they conduct their strategic planning process. Finally, this episode will discuss new requirements to the application process and resources for states as well as additional funding and projects SAAs can engage in through BJA such as Project Safe Neighborhoods and the National Public Safety Partnership in an effort to encourage and promote braided and blended funding.
SAA and SAC Partnership in Strategic Planning with Mike Fargen and Kellie Rabenhorst
States’ Statistical Analysis Centers (SAC) can be valuable resources for State Administering Agencies (SAA) for incorporating data into their Byrne JAG strategic planning efforts. While the SAA understands the state and national criminal justice landscape, the SAC is an expert on data. In this episode, Matt Wade, a program manager at NCJA, talks with Mike Fargen (former SAC director in Nebraska) and Kellie Rabenhorst (former SAA in Nebraska) about how these two key positions can and should work in partnership. Both Mike and Kellie have recently joined the OVC VOCA Center at NCJA.
Byrne JAG Penalties with Elizabeth Pyke
This podcast episode was produced thanks to the contributions of NCJA members. To learn more about becoming an NCJA member, visit our membership page. On this episode, NCJA’s director of communications, Bethany Broida, continues her conversation about the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant, with Byrne JAG expert and NCJA’s director of government affairs, Elizabeth Pyke. Elizabeth explains the scale, intent and impact of Byrne JAG penalties that are tied to the program. The topic is widely discussed and often misunderstood.
Pennsylvania's Virtual Strategic Planning Success with Mike Pennington and Samantha Koch
Key Elements for Creating an Effective Byrne JAG Strategic Plan with Allison Badger
Byrne JAG 101 with Elizabeth Pyke
Episode 1 is an overview of Byrne JAG featuring NCJA Director of Government Affairs and resident Byrne JAG expert, Elizabeth Pyke, answering FAQs about the Byrne JAG program. She discusses the overall purposes of the grants, the role of the SAA, how awards are calculated and how the funds are used. Importantly, she highlights the flexibility states have in the kinds of programs and projects they invest in with Byrne JAG. Whether you are new to the Byrne JAG program or looking to refresh your knowledge, this podcast is a great resource.
The content on this webpage was created with the support of Grant Nos. 2019-YA-BX-K002, 15PBJA-22-GK-04999-BSCI, and 15PBJA-22-GK-01566-JAGJ awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a program office within the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking, and the Office for Victims of Crime. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.