We’ve pulled together a selection of international updates, research highlights and upcoming professional development opportunities that may be of interest to IACFP Bulletin readers working across prisons, probation and community corrections. If there’s something happening in your region that we should know about – news, research calls, webinars or conferences –please get in touch at community@myiacfp.org.
- International Updates
Netherlands: Prison Health Reform
The Netherlands continues to approach prison health as a public health issue, with mental health recognised as the most common need among people in custody. Even with one of the lowest incarceration rates in the WHO European Region, Dutch prisons invest heavily in healthcare staffing, including nurse-to-prisoner ratios that sit above recommended benchmarks. Clinical care is only one part of the picture. There is also consistent investment in education and employment pathways, alongside close collaboration with WHO/Europe initiatives such as the Health in Prisons European Database (HIPED). Taken together, this reflects a system where prison mental health care is treated as core business, rather than an add-on on when resources allow.
Read the full article here.
International: Global Prison Trends 2025 Report
The Global Prison Trends 2025 report , published by Penal Reform International and the Thailand Institute of Justice, pulls together a picture of what is happening in prison systems around the world. It points to rising levels of suicide and violence in custody, ongoing gaps in healthcare, the environmental costs of prison buildings, and a growing role for people with lived experience in shaping reform. None of this will come as a surprise to people working in prisons. Seeing the same issues are showing up across different countries, which explains at least in part why so many systems feel under strain.
United Kingdom: Supermax-Style Restrictions
In February 2026, the UK government announced plans to overhaul separation centres and explore “supermax-style” restrictions for individuals assessed as posing the highest levels of risk, including violent and extremist offenders. Proposed measures include a tiered security framework, enhanced staff training, and strengthened intelligence processes, alongside consideration of legislative changes aimed at supporting staff decision-making in terrorism-related cases. These developments raise important questions about the psychological impact of high-security regimes on both staff and people in custody. Read the full press release here.
United States: Youth Charging Reform in Maryland
Maryland’s Youth Charging Reform Act (SB323/HB409) is intended to cut back on the number of young people automatically pushed into the adult court system. Under the proposed changes, 14- and 15-year-olds would no longer be charged as adults by default, and far fewer offences would send 16- and 17-year-olds straight to adult court. Changes like this matter because they shape how young people develop, the supports they can access, and the chances they have once they leave the justice system.
Read more about the impact and the data behind these reforms in the full press release and fact sheet.
United States: Washington Way Program
In the United States, the Washington Way program is a collaborative initiative between the Washington state Department of Corrections and the Amend program at the University of California San Francisco. The program’s goal is to transform prison culture to improve the health and well-being of both staff and incarcerated individuals. The initiative focuses on treating prison stress as an occupational health crisis and utilizes the rehabilitative “Norwegian Model” to improve long-term outcomes for everyone within the system.
At the Washington Corrections Center for Women, the program has introduced change agents to improve staff wellness, facility upgrades, and mentorship-based contact officer roles to support people in custody. Take a look at the full article here.
United States: Addressing Prison Mental Health Staffing in California
California is reported to be using nearly $200 million in federal fines to respond to unconstitutional conditions linked to chronic understaffing and high suicide rates in prisons. Measures include $20,000 hiring and retention bonuses for psychologists and psychiatric social workers, smaller incentives for other mental health roles, and investment in upgrading deteriorating clinical workspaces. Chronic understaffing has real consequences for safety and care, and short-term fixes continue to raise questions about how systems retain skilled clinicians over time. Read more about the initiative here.
United States, Canada, & Australia: Community Forensic Mental Health Models
There is growing interest internationally in Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) and similar multidisciplinary, community-based models for people with serious mental illness who are involved in the justice system. Originating in the United States and now adapted in parts of Canada and Australia, these approaches aim to improve continuity of care after release through closer integration of mental health services, housing, and supervision. These models show what becomes possible when psychological care, supervision, and social supports are joined up beyond the prison gate. Read the article on emerging trends here.
United States and International: Gender and Incarceration Inequalities
Recent analysis from the Prison Policy Initiative shows that in the United States, women are being incarcerated at faster rates than men, even where overall prison numbers have levelled off. International monitoring reports point to similar trends, along with growing recognition of the distinct routes into the justice system for women, transgender, and nonbinary people, and the very different health, trauma, and re-entry challenges they face. Taken together, these patterns expose how much correctional systems are still built around male populations, and how poorly one-size-fits-all approaches continue to serve many people in custody. Read more here.
- Research
Call for Papers
Advancing Corrections: Effecting Change in Corrections
The International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) has issued a call for papers for the 21st edition of Advancing Corrections. This practitioner-focused issue shifts attention from specific programmes to the process of change itself, encouraging submissions that explore how change is implemented in real-world settings, including low-resource and non-Western contexts.
Journal of Threat Assessment and Management: Brief Reports, Commentaries, & Perspectives
Dr. Caroline Logan announced on LinkedIn that the Journal of Threat Assessment and Management (JTAM) is now accepting submissions for short-form papers, specifically Brief Reports, Commentaries, and Perspectives. These formats are designed to showcase case studies, reflections on existing literature, and future directions for the field, providing a streamlined opportunity for practitioners to share the practical challenges and successes encountered in threat assessment work.
3. Webinars, Continual Professional Development
IACFP Webinar: Fireside Chat with Dr. Frank Porporino
April 22, 2026
5:00 PM EDT / 9:00 PM GMT
5:00 AM (April 23) SGT / 9:00 AM (April 23) NZST
The International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology (IACFP) is pleased to host an informal fireside conversation with Dr. Frank Porporino, moderated by Dr. Abigail Tucker.
This engaging discussion will explore the challenges and opportunities shaping contemporary correctional psychology. Drawing on a distinguished career that spans frontline clinical work in Canada’s oldest maximum-security institution through to influencing correctional policy and practice internationally, Dr. Porporino will offer reflections grounded in decades of experience and commitment to evidence-based practice. This event provides a valuable opportunity to hear candid insights from a leader whose work has significantly shaped the field — and from whom many practitioners and researchers have learned.
Registration details will be announced shortly on our website and LinkedIn. We look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be a thoughtful and stimulating conversation.
IACFP Webinar Series: Staff Boundaries
This two-part webinar series will provide a global forum for examining staff boundary issues in correctional and forensic settings.
Part 1 (April 2026) will focus on theory, research, and patterns associated with staff boundary violations in corrections. This session will be led by Dr Estelle Moore (United Kingdom) and Jessica Borg (New Zealand).
Part 2 (May 2026) will move on to practical responses, organisational supports, and training strategies when boundary issues arise. Dr Estelle Moore (United Kingdom), Jessica Borg (New Zealand), Dr Sarah Hume (Ireland) and Dr Ian Lambie (New Zealand) will provide practical experience and expertise in managing this really challenging theme.
Dates, times, and registration details will be announced shortly on our website and LinkedIn page.
4. Conferences
International Research in Corrections Conference
March 2–5, 2026 | Auckland, New Zealand
Hosted by ICPA, the inaugural IRCC will bring together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from around the world. IACFP is sponsoring keynote speaker Dr. Chi Meng Chu. Participants will also have the option to attend facility visits hosted by Ara Poutama Aotearoa (New Zealand Department of Corrections).
Bergen International Conference on Forensic Mental Health
March 25–26, 2026 | Bergen, Norway
This year’s conference will focus on youth and emerging adults at the intersection of risk and vulnerability, with sessions on developmentally informed justice responses, neurodiversity, prevention, and victimisation.
World Congress on Probation and Parole
April 14–17, 2026 | Bali, Indonesia
The 7th World Congress on Probation and Parole will take place under the theme “Getting Smart on Justice: Healing Hearts & Safer Societies.”
CRPOI Conference: Connecting Paths 2026
May 2026 | St. Catharines, Canada
Hosted by Brock University and CRPOI, this free national conference explores critical perspectives on criminology and social justice, with a focus on how personal and social encounters shape understandings of harm, safety, and transformation.
NCCHC Correctional Mental Health Care Conference
July 18–20, 2026 | Austin, Texas
NCCHC’s annual conference will include a new Lightning Talk format alongside traditional sessions and workshops, with up to 22 continuing education credits available.
International Corrections and Prisons Association Annual Conference
October 25 – 30. 2026 | Belfast, Ireland
ICPA is calling for submissions for its 2026 Annual Conference in Belfast, focusing on the power of collaborative partnerships to address rising pressures in corrections systems. The event will explore critical areas such as community alternatives, managing system complexity, and cross-sector innovation, with a deadline for paper submissions set for May 3, 2026.
