Commencement ETC PC

10/17/2026

🍝 Happy National Pasta Day!

As a psychologist, I'm trained to look for patterns in human behavior. So today, naturally, I'm investigating an important question:

What does your favorite pasta say about you? 😂

🍝 Spaghetti: You appreciate the classics.
🧀 Mac and cheese: Comfort is a priority.
🍝 Lasagna: You believe good things are worth the effort.
🌶️ Penne alla vodka: You like a little excitement.
🍜 Fettuccine Alfredo: You believe life should be rich and satisfying.

Is this scientifically validated? Absolutely not. Is it important research? I'll let you decide!

👇 Tell me your favorite pasta dish in the comments!

10/16/2026

Former New Orleans Sheriff Susan Hutson is challenging how prosecutors are handling the 50-count case against her and former chief financial officer Bianka Brown, which stems from the 2025 escape of 10 inmates. Her defense argues that broad allegations and extensive evidence disclosures have made it difficult to prepare an adequate defense. Prosecutors maintain that the indictment is legally sufficient. The case remains pending.

From a forensic psychology perspective, accountability and due process are not competing values. Both are essential to a justice system that deserves public trust.

Investigating institutional failures requires examining leadership, policies, and decisions. But allegations must still be specific enough to be fairly challenged, and guilt must be established through the legal process.

Accountability means asking hard questions—and ensuring the process is fair to everyone involved.

Former New Orleans Sheriff Susan Hutson's lawyers say prosecutors are staging a trial by ambush in a 50-count indictment tied to a jailbreak probe.

10/15/2026

Christa Pike survived Tennessee’s September 30 ex*****on attempt after two doses of lethal-injection drugs failed to kill her. She has since returned to prison, and the state has suspended ex*****ons while the incident is investigated. Newly released 911 recordings have also raised questions about delays in emergency medical care.

From a forensic psychology perspective, this case raises difficult questions about competency, human suffering, and the limits of state authority. Pike was convicted of a brutal murder committed when she was 18, but the circumstances of her ex*****on attempt demand independent scrutiny.

We can recognize the gravity of the crime while still examining how justice is carried out.

Accountability matters not only in determining who deserves punishment, but also in ensuring the system follows its own legal and ethical obligations.

The novel circumstances of Christa Pike’s case could help her attorneys make strong legal arguments to stave off a second ex*****on attempt by Tennessee officials.

10/14/2026

A Rochester, New York, attorney is accused of attempting to smuggle ma*****na, to***co, and eight cellphones concealed inside hollowed-out laptops into an Ohio prison. Investigators allege she claimed to represent two inmates, although she was not their attorney of record. She has been charged with attempting to provide contraband in prison.

From a forensic psychology perspective, contraband is more than a security violation. Drugs and unauthorized phones can contribute to coercion, exploitation, illicit activity, and conflict behind prison walls.

Correctional security requires more than controlling what enters a facility. It requires understanding how contraband can shape behavior and power once it gets inside.

A practicing attorney from Rochester faces federal charges after she attempted to smuggle cellphones, ma*****na and to***co into a federal prison in Youngstown, Ohio, according to court documents.

10/14/2026

🍰 Happy National Dessert Day! 🍪🍦

As a psychologist, I spend a lot of time thinking about human behavior. Today, I have one very important question:

What does your favorite dessert say about you? 😂

Are you a chocolate-lover, a cheesecake enthusiast, an ice-cream loyalist, or the person who insists that “just one bite” doesn't count?

I'm not sure there's a psychological test for dessert preferences, but I'm willing to do some very unofficial research in the comments!

👇 Tell me your favorite dessert. Let's see what everyone's craving!

10/14/2026

A former correctional officer at the federal prison in Jesup, Georgia, was sentenced to four years in federal prison after admitting she accepted more than $80,000 in bribes to smuggle m**hamphetamine, ma*****na, synthetic drugs, and cell phones into the facility. Two inmates involved in the scheme were also sentenced.

From a forensic psychology perspective, correctional security depends on more than controlling inmate behavior. It also requires examining how access, opportunity, financial incentives, and failures in oversight can contribute to staff misconduct.

The authority to protect a facility should never become an opportunity to exploit it.

Prosecutors say inmates used Cash App to pay her for the contraband.

10/10/2026

🧠 World Mental Health Day

Mental health is not som**hing we should only talk about when someone reaches a crisis point.

It affects how we think, cope, connect with others, make decisions, and navigate the difficult parts of life. And sometimes, taking care of our mental health means recognizing that what we've been doing isn't working—and being willing to ask for help.

As a psychologist, I believe seeking support should be viewed as a form of strength, not failure.

You don't have to wait until you're falling apart to deserve support.

Today, let's make mental health conversations a little more honest, a little more compassionate, and a lot less stigmatized.

10/09/2026

Appreciation shouldn't end on Friday.

What does meaningful support look like?

1. Say thank you.
Actually acknowledge the person—not just the uniform.

2. Respect their time off.
Off-duty doesn't always mean emotionally “off.”

3. Support their families.
They carry part of the burden, too.

4. Normalize mental health.
Needing help doesn't erase strength.

5. Keep showing up.
One week of appreciation can't compensate for a year of being forgotten.

Let's make this personal.

Tag a public safety professional who has made a difference in your life and tell us why you're grateful for them.

Not their rank.

Not their title.

Tell us som**hing about the person.

10/08/2026

Taking care of your mind isn't weakness. It's part of staying in the game.

Public safety professionals are trained to respond—to emergencies, uncertainty, conflict, danger, and other people's worst moments.

They're often very good at doing exactly that.

But being good at responding to everyone else's crisis doesn't mean you should have to ignore your own.

Sometimes the signs that you're carrying too much aren't dramatic.

They may look like:

• Not sleeping well
• Being more irritable than usual
• Pulling away from people
• Feeling emotionally numb
• Relying more heavily on alcohol or other substances
• Having difficulty connecting with your family
• Replaying difficult calls or incidents
• Having trouble transitioning from work to home
• Feeling like you're always “on”

These signs don't automatically mean there's a mental health disorder. But they are worth paying attention to.

And asking for support doesn't mean you're not resilient.

Sometimes resilience means recognizing when “I can handle it” has quietly become “I shouldn't have to handle this alone.”

Know your warning signs.
Know your resources.
Know when to use them.

Because mental health isn't separate from public safety.

It is part of it.

10/07/2026

The uniform may belong to one person, but the impact of the job can reach an entire family.

Public safety work doesn't always stay at work.

It can mean missed holidays and birthdays. Interrupted dinners. Schedule changes. Long hours. Waiting for the phone to ring—or hoping it doesn't.

And sometimes, it means learning that the person who walks through the door isn't always able to immediately leave the day's experiences behind.

For families, supporting someone in public safety can mean learning how to recognize the difference between “They need some space” and “Som**hing isn't right.”

It can mean understanding that “I'm fine” might sometimes mean I don't know how to talk about what happened.

But here's an important reminder for families:

You can support someone without being responsible for fixing them.

You can listen.
You can be present.
You can encourage them to take care of themselves.
And sometimes, you can gently say, “I'm here for you—but you might need someone else, too.”

Because public safety isn't just a profession.

It's a family affair.

Today, I'm recognizing not only the people who put on the uniform, but also the people who love them, wait for them, worry about them, and make room for the demands of the job.

They serve our communities. Families serve alongside them in ways that aren't always visible.