Correctional officers in the United States experience severe work-related stressors and are generally physically unwell compared to similar public employees. An innovative and new approach to improving American corrections that is starting to gain momentum stems from looking at the workplace dynamic in alternative international models, such as in Scandinavian prison systems, for models of workplace reform. This study examines the perspectives of staff and leaders from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections who traveled to Scandinavia as part of a correctional exchange. Each day of the trip, correctional staff recorded their qualitative reflections and completed a survey about their observations and experiences. This article examines both forms of data to explore correctional officer wellness from the perspective of American correctional officers. Five key themes are discussed: morale, stress, danger, dynamic security, and communication. Survey results suggest that US correctional officers experienced lower stress and more positive interactions during their time in Norway. Key takeaways and implications for policy are discussed.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) among LGBTQ couples remains a public health problem in both civilian and military populations. The existing literature tends to focus on male to female IPV perpetration. There is a gap in knowledge on IPV perpetration among the LGBTQ military/veteran population. In an effort to better understand how risk factors uniquely affect this population as veterans or active-duty military members, a systematic literature review, employing PRISMA analysis, is conducted to map out the various gaps surrounding IPV perpetration among the Military/Veteran LGBTQ population by exploring risk factor pathways (i.e., core descriptive, core temporal, and core interactive): Substance Use, Impellance (Dispositional Qualities) Anger Traits, and Relationship Instigation/Provocation factors. Queries were limited to peer-reviewed articles published in Google Scholar and PubMed between 2011-2021. Findings indicate that individual, social, and economic factors are associated with a heightened risk of IPV perpetration among the LGBTQ military/veteran population. Specifically, it was found that low SES, mental health, substance use and misuse, military socialization, and gender paradigms are factors that pose risks for IPV perpetration among the LGBTQ military population. This study provides nuanced information for family counselors, social workers, and behavioral interventionists to gain knowledge about the risk factors for IPV perpetration in the LGBTQ military population.

Reproductive Rights are fundamental to a woman's physical and mental well-being. In the country of Mexico, it is estimated that 750,000 to 1,000,000 illegal and unsafe abortions are performed each year (Almaraz, 2018). Given that abortion has long been unattainable and illegal in most of Mexico, why was abortion legalized in Oaxaca, an indigenous and poor southern state, in 2019? To answer this question, I am examining the role of female leadership in Oaxaca’s legislature, high levels of popular organization which arose from the Oaxacan teacher’s movement, grassroots organizing by feminist nonprofits and associations, and the influence of the Morena Party which has controlled Oaxacan politics since 2011. My research will rely on scholarly books, articles, newspaper accounts, and congressional debates. In the future, I plan to conduct Skype interviews with Oaxacan politicians and scholars as well as in-country activists from women’s NGOs. My hope is that my findings will shed light on how other regions of Mexico can legalize abortion, thereby providing all women in Mexico with access to safe and legal abortions and with the ability to control their own reproductive decision-making. .