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.
Listen on:
Episodes
Monday Dec 20, 2021
Monday Dec 20, 2021
This episode takes a different look at OUD by examining the implementation of an MAT program to consider some of the challenges facing programs, organizations, and communities who want to help individuals with OUD but find there are often roadblocks or hurdles to doing so effectively.
For more information, download the one-pager for this episode (PDF)
Monday Dec 13, 2021
Monday Dec 13, 2021
Ever heard of “social” recovery? No? Oh, you’re missing out. In this episode, we talk you through one study that examines various pathways methamphetamine users may take to achieve recovery. It’s not all about abstinence, but it can still yield positive results.
For more information, download the one-pager for this episode (PDF)
Monday Dec 06, 2021
Monday Dec 06, 2021
This informative episode breaks down the science of withdrawal and walks listeners through how withdrawal affects many aspects of individuals’ lives. It also (yes, there’s more) discusses the problems that emerge when individuals in charge of supervising individuals with OUD do not fully understand withdrawal and the policies/practices in place for dealing with these folks that can actually cause more harm than intended or desired.
For more information, download the one-pager for this episode (PDF)
Monday Nov 29, 2021
Monday Nov 29, 2021
This episode takes a deep dive into medically assisted treatment (MAT) for substance use disorders by discussing a study that compares carceral resident outcomes when using methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone to see which group had lower recidivism and fewer risky behaviors. Want to know which MAT works best? Listen and find out.
For more information, download the one-pager for this episode (PDF)
Friday Nov 12, 2021
Friday Nov 12, 2021
Ever wonder how opioids affect the body and the brain? This episode breaks down the neuroscience of opioids by showcasing innovative research from several leading scholars. Will you be an expert after listening? Nope. But you’ll definitely know more and it may inspire you to keep learning.
For more information, download the one-pager for this episode (PDF)
Friday Nov 12, 2021
Friday Nov 12, 2021
This episode explores opioid use disorder (OUD) and stigma among pregnant people with OUD in prison. Stigma around OUD and whether the people were receiving medicine for their OUD prior to custody mattered greatly. The language and the overall stigma around OUD must change if we are to fully address this epic problem.
For more information, download the one-pager for this episode (PDF)
Tuesday Jun 01, 2021
Tuesday Jun 01, 2021
This podcast episode takes listeners on a cross-country road-trip from study site to study site looking deep into the Honest Opportunity Probation Enforcement program. It starts in Hawaii but weaves its way through four other field sites with differing results. Tune in and see if there is hope for HOPE, (or not).
For more information, download the one-pager for this episode (PDF)
Tuesday Jun 01, 2021
Tuesday Jun 01, 2021
This episode considers how attitudes, leadership, and training matter for probation officers when using evidence based practices with clients. The study it covers is straight-forward and simple to understand but this podcast breaks it down even further for listeners and provides some common sense take-aways from the science.
For more information, download the one-pager for this episode (PDF)
Tuesday Jun 01, 2021
Tuesday Jun 01, 2021
This episode considers the ever-important topic of the risks and needs of individuals on community supervision like probation or parole. While researchers and some practitioners are learning more about risk and needs, there are still a LOT of unanswered questions like which risks and needs matter most and how they are best addressed. This podcast looks deep into this question using an easy-to-comprehend example of grocery shopping. Confused? Don’t be… have a listen.
For more information, download the one-pager for this episode (PDF)
Tuesday Jun 01, 2021
Tuesday Jun 01, 2021
Did you know that Implementation Science is a specific way of examining HOW organizations implement (or start doing) evidence-based practices (EBPs)… practices that are backed by science? If you don’t already know much about implementation science, this podcast was literally created for you. Try listening to this and then engaging in the LEAP Learners’ course by Dr. Gregory Aarons on Implementation Science. You’ll be amazed what you’ll learn.
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.