Aced It
The Aced It podcast is the place to go if you‘re trying to find out what‘s new in the health and justice research world, but don‘t have the time, energy, or know-how to decipher all that academic writing. Dr. Danielle Rudes and Shannon Magnuson from the Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence (ACE!) at George Mason University developed the Aced It! podcast to bring relevant research articles to a broader audience by putting them into layperson’s terms sharing the findings and implications in about 15 minutes.
Episodes

Sunday Jul 17, 2022
Sunday Jul 17, 2022
While some argue that incarceration is not the answer for solving our substance use disorder challenges, will police-assisted referrals for SUDs help? This episode takes a deep dive into a study of one such program and reports on what the authors found and what it might mean for us as we continue working toward better outcomes.
Download the One-Pager for this episode (PDF).

Sunday Jul 10, 2022
The Role of Dealers (S3E8)
Sunday Jul 10, 2022
Sunday Jul 10, 2022
What is the role of dealers in protecting users from opioid overdose and harm? This episode looks at a study that asks this question—with fascinating results. We’re all in this together but we need to understand each other and cooperate if we are to truly help people with substance use challenges.
Download the One-Pager for this episode (PDF).

Sunday Jul 03, 2022
Sunday Jul 03, 2022
Individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) faced particular challenges in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode, we explore the experiences of individuals with SUD during a global health crisis. The results are both informative and important.
Download the One-Pager for this episode (PDF).

Sunday Jun 26, 2022
Reducing Opioid Deaths: The Role of the Community (S3E6)
Sunday Jun 26, 2022
Sunday Jun 26, 2022
This episode examines the role of communities in helping individuals with substance use disorder. Study findings suggest a distinct and pronounced need for better education and training around treatment and recovery and a need for everyone to get involved.
Download the One-Pager for this episode (PDF).

Sunday Jun 19, 2022
Sunday Jun 19, 2022
In this super-interesting episode, we report on a study of U.S. veterans with opioid use disorder who discuss what they think would help them in their treatment. The veterans describe barriers to treatment and what they think they need to be successful during recovery.
Download the One-Pager for this episode (PDF).

Sunday Jun 12, 2022
Sunday Jun 12, 2022
What do we know about what happens when we link individuals to substance use services upon jail discharge? This podcast offers a scoping review that examines answers to that question. Want to know more (and find out what a scoping review is)? Give this episode a listen!
Download the One-Pager for this episode (PDF).

Sunday Jun 05, 2022
Sunday Jun 05, 2022
How many lives could we save if we provided MOUD to individuals while they are in prison? And how many more lives could we save if we provided MOUD to individuals effectively upon release from prison/jail? Check out this episode to find out and to learn why you should not only care but help.
Download the One-Pager for this episode (PDF).

Sunday May 29, 2022
The Impact of the Opioid Crisis on U.S. State Prison Systems (S3E2)
Sunday May 29, 2022
Sunday May 29, 2022
Providing MOUD comes with some challenges despite many benefits. In this episode, we explore a study involving MOUD within carceral spaces and highlight how some real-world challenges can interfere with treatment in prison.
Download the One-Pager for this episode.

Sunday May 22, 2022
Loosening MOUD Restrictions During COVID-19 (S3E1)
Sunday May 22, 2022
Sunday May 22, 2022
How does a global pandemic like COVID-19 affect individuals engaged in treatment involving Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD)? Some restrictions were loosened, and the results may be favorable in many ways. Listen to hear more.
Download the One-Pager for this episode.

Monday Jan 10, 2022
Monday Jan 10, 2022
Helping individuals with OUD is a big undertaking. Whole communities are required. This episode discusses a peer outreach and MAT treatment linkage program and considers the various factors that increase the likelihood that participants pursue treatment.
For more information, download the one-pager for this episode (PDF)

About Aced It
Dr. Danielle Rudes and Shannon Magnuson from the Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence (ACE!) at George Mason University developed the Aced It podcast series to bring relevant research articles to a broader audience by putting them into layperson’s terms sharing the findings and implications in about 15 minutes.
The Aced It podcast is the place to go if you're trying to find out what's new in the health and justice research world, but don't have the time, energy, or know-how to decipher all that academic writing.
Shout Outs!
Aced It also graciously thanks Heather Toronjo and Arden Richards-Karamarkovich for their fabulous research and scripting and for the one-pagers that accompany each episode. And, thank you to the countless students who contributed ideas and episode scripts. We also thank Tisha Wiley, Lori Ducharme, and Julia Zur at NIDA for their ever-thoughtful support and guidance and Faye Taxman at ACE! for her career-long devotion to inspiring change and improvement to criminal legal organizations and all those who work with or are served by them. Finally, a ruckus thank you to Shannon Magnuson (GMU and Justice Systems Partners) for her part in inspiring the creation of this podcast.
Meet the Host
Danielle S. Rudes, Ph.D. is a Professor of Criminal Justice & Criminology at Sam Houston State University and the Deputy Director of the Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence (ACE!) at George Mason University. She received her B.A. in mass communication (broadcasting) from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, her M.A. in Communications from the University of New Orleans, and an M.A. and PhD in Sociology from the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Rudes is an expert qualitative researcher whose methods include ethnographic observation, interviews, and focus groups with over 20 years of experience working with corrections agencies at the federal, state and local county levels including prisons, jails, probation/parole agencies, and problem-solving courts. She is recognized for her work examining how social control organizations and their middle management and street-level workers understand, negotiate, and at times, resist change.
Dr. Rudes’ experience includes working with corrections agencies during adoption, adaptation, and implementation of various workplace reforms. She also works with institutional corrections (both general population and solitary confinement) to examine key areas of living and working in these carceral spaces including decision making, perceptions of risk/punishment, and negotiating change/reform.
Dr. Rudes received funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institute of Justice. She also serves on the Editorial Board of the journals Criminal Justice & Behavior, Victims & Offenders and the journal Law & Policy and is an Associate Editor at the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. Dr. Rudes received the American Society of Criminology’s Teaching Award in 2018, the Mentoring Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences in 2021, and several George Mason University awards including Teaching Excellence, Mentoring Excellence, and the Emerging Researcher, Scholar, Creator Award.
Dr. Rudes works closely with her team at ACE! to develop each podcast episode and records all episodes from her home studio.