Dr. Sarah Lewis is a criminologist and a penal reformer based out of the United Kingdom who specializes in cultural change within prisons and corrections. She has 20 years of experience in and out of probation and prison settings. As the director of Penal Reform Solutions and Grow, Transform, Belong CIC, Dr. Lewis oversees a team of people with personal and professional lived experience who work together to bring about social change in correctional environments. The theme of this bulletin is particularly relevant in Dr. Lewis’ work, as maintaining professional boundaries in correctional environments is essential in cultivating a healthy, productive, and functioning system. Facilities … [Read more...] about Interview: Dr. Sarah Lewis on How Correctional Environments Support and Challenge Staff Boundaries
Foreword
While IACFP is very excited about its next steps on the IACFP Strategic Pillars 2025-2031, it is also sad to say “good-bye” to one of its drafters, i.e. Matt Epperson. Matt joined the board six years ago when IACFP was trying to increase its diversity not only internationally but also in terms of professional areas of specialization. They wanted another “voice” at the leadership table. IACFP specifically sought to find someone known for their research and practice in social work AND that aligned with the IACFP mission. They couldn’t have found anyone better than Matt Epperson, MSW, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Chicago, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and … [Read more...] about Foreword
IACFP International News, Research, and Resources
We’ve compiled top highlights from recent research, policy, and practice resources across the world for our latest IACFP International News Summary. Our topics for September and October, 2025 include IACFP, recent publications, and upcoming conferences. IACFP hosted its annual in-person board meeting on October 21st. This meeting was held in conjunction with the 3rd IACFP International Correctional Mental Health Leadership Network in-person meeting 21-23 October in Oslo, Norway. Fifteen countries were represented at the Network Meeting, which provided an outstanding opportunity to learn from each other and to share challenges, innovations, and best practices. The highlights of both meetings … [Read more...] about IACFP International News, Research, and Resources
10 Ideas for Prioritizing Wellness This Week
Do a self-care task that takes less than 60 seconds (Drink some water, take 3 deep breaths, stand up and stretch, etc.). Try doing this at least 3 times this week. Ask a colleague, “How have you been doing?” Not as a greeting, but a genuine check in. Thank a colleague for all the work they do. Write down something you are good at in your job. Then, write down something you enjoy about your job. Think: If you saw a colleague engaged in an escalating situation, how would you use one of the 3 D’s (Distract, Delegate, Direct)? It’s okay if you don’t actually do it this week. Thinking about it ahead of time may help you make quicker decisions when a situation does call for it. Tell … [Read more...] about 10 Ideas for Prioritizing Wellness This Week
Interview: Dr. Abigail Tucker on Active Bystandership as a Catalyst for Improving Correctional Staff Wellness
Dr. Abigail Tucker is an American Psychological Association board-certified police and public safety psychologist, a unique branch of correctional psychology, out of Colorado, United States. In childhood, Dr. Tucker wanted to work as a police officer and eventually for the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) but instead found her passion in college: psychology. In graduate school, she was told, “If you want to specialize in anything, be a generalist,” and so that is exactly what she did. Dr. Tucker gained experience in community mental health, jails, detox facilities, hospitals, crisis centers, and more. Despite her multitude of experience working with incarcerated people, in the past … [Read more...] about Interview: Dr. Abigail Tucker on Active Bystandership as a Catalyst for Improving Correctional Staff Wellness
Interview: Dr. Susan Rudolph on Not Just Caring for Your Clients, But for Your Colleagues and Yourself, in a High Stress Environment
Dr. Susan Rudolph has worked in many corners of correctional and forensic psychology. Starting as a junior correctional officer, she eventually returned to graduate school, where she received training to pursue future roles as a correctional psychologist in several institutions, a forensic psychologist through her own private practice, and most recently taking on an administrative role in the United States Federal Bureau of Prisons. With her extensive background in corrections, she was able to sit down with me and provide some unique and important perspectives on staff wellness in correctional environments, from both a personal and a supervisory perspective. We began by discussing how … [Read more...] about Interview: Dr. Susan Rudolph on Not Just Caring for Your Clients, But for Your Colleagues and Yourself, in a High Stress Environment
Turning a New Page Together
Although Cherie introduced me in the beginning of this bulletin, I wanted to also introduce myself. My name is Tia Tourville. I am an advocate for quality mental health treatment in the criminal justice system. My research interests include competence to stand trial and the effects of pretrial detention on mental health. I pride myself on being a teacher and a mentor, and hope to uphold those roles, regardless of where my career takes me. Perhaps most importantly, I absolutely love to learn (and not just in school, which my family jokes I will never stop returning to). I enjoy learning fun facts, playing trivia, reading about myths and legends, and listening to podcasts. I love discovering … [Read more...] about Turning a New Page Together
Summary: Correctional Officers with More Service Time Are More Likely to Experience Persistent Mental Health Problems
The most recent issue of Criminal Justice and Behavior (Volume 59, Issue 9, September 2025) has published an article by Samantha L. Allen and Joseph A. Schwartz detailing a longitudinal study examining the prevalence and persistence of significant mental health concerns in correctional officers in relation to service time. The findings of this study provide important perspectives for leadership in correctional settings when considering mental health and wellness of themselves and their staff. Background Despite recent increases in state prison populations, the number of state correctional employees in the United States has continued to decline over the years. Employee shortages have … [Read more...] about Summary: Correctional Officers with More Service Time Are More Likely to Experience Persistent Mental Health Problems
Addressing Burnout in the Irish Prison Service: Exploring the Experiences of Psychology Staff
Psychologists are particularly vulnerable to occupational stress and burnout (Dattilio, 2015; Rupert et al., 2015) due to the emotionally demanding and people-centred nature of their role. Research highlights that the prevalence of burnout in Psychology can be high, and that susceptibility to burnout may occur even before qualification (Kaeding et al., 2017). These risks are heightened in correctional and forensic settings, where professionals are required to manage complex interpersonal dynamics and often heavy workloads (Dolan et al., 2022) and repeated contact with trauma, including disclosures of death, abuses and injury from their clients. With this “Cost to Caring” in mind, the Irish … [Read more...] about Addressing Burnout in the Irish Prison Service: Exploring the Experiences of Psychology Staff
Foreword from Cherie Townsend, IACFP Executive Director
Since the last IACFP Bulletin, we have lost two great leaders who were dedicated to improving correctional practices and rehabilitation outcomes globally: Peter Severin and Dr. Helen Farley. As we begin this new issue, which is focused on staff well-being, it is appropriate to first acknowledge our connections with Peter and Helen and their contributions to our profession. In August, we received the news from the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) that its President, Peter Severin, had passed away on Sunday, August 17, 2025. This followed a sudden and devastating illness. Peter, who had retired as Commissioner for Correctional Services in New South Wales in 2021 … [Read more...] about Foreword from Cherie Townsend, IACFP Executive Director
Summary: “Knowing and Working with Someone Who Has Made It Means I’m Going to Make it Too”: Experiential Knowledge as a Catalyst for Transformation in Reentry and Beyond
A recent issue of Criminal Justice and Behavior (Volume 52, Issue 2) features a new study by Emily I. Troshynski, Carolyn Willis, and Kara Forrai that examines the effectiveness of social reentry programs with staff who have experiential knowledge of being justice-involved individuals. The study adopted a qualitative approach, interviewing and analyzing responses from formerly incarcerated people to learn how their interactions with peers and mentors who had similar life experiences worked to reduce the likelihood of recidivism. The study was underwritten by a Second Chance Act (SCA) Grant from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), which offers federal funds to advance efforts … [Read more...] about Summary: “Knowing and Working with Someone Who Has Made It Means I’m Going to Make it Too”: Experiential Knowledge as a Catalyst for Transformation in Reentry and Beyond
National Commission on Correctional Healthcare: Report on Spring Conference Louisville Kentucky April 5th-8th 2025
In April of this year, I was lucky enough to travel to Louisville, Kentucky, USA with two healthcare colleagues to attend the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare (NCCHC) Spring Conference 2025. This was on foot of Caron McCaffrey (Director General of the Irish Prison Service) challenging me and my team to seek out more solutions to the healthcare challenges we face in corrections, with a particular emphasis on reviewing what is happening in other jurisdictions. Scrolling LinkedIn one evening in Dublin, I came across the NCCHC Spring Conference in Kentucky. The itinerary was broad, relevant, and looked really interesting. Our Director General agreed to three of us travelling, … [Read more...] about National Commission on Correctional Healthcare: Report on Spring Conference Louisville Kentucky April 5th-8th 2025
