Pamela Mertens is a Doctoral Candidate at the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Conflict Analysis and Resolution, NOVA Southeastern University.  She is currently holding a tenure-track position at Northeastern State University in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. She has over 4 years of higher learning teaching experience between the Universities of North Florida, Savannah State University and Northeastern State University.  Fields of teaching include Criminal Justice, Criminology, Homeland Security and Gender Studies.  Ms. Mertens has been assigned to teach several gender and crime courses over the past few years such as Women and the Legal System, Women in Prison, Women and Crime and Family Violence.  Ms. Mertens has over 13 years of military experience.  Many of those years were spent as a Crime Scene Photographer while in the United States Marine Corps.  She possesses a BA in Criminology, an MS in Criminal Justice and currently ABD pursuing her doctorate in Conflict Analysis and Resolution with a focus in Criminal Justice/Crisis Management and Critical Incident Response.  Ms. Mertens has developed a working relationship with the Warden and Assistant Wardens at Lowell Female Correctional Facility, locates in Ocala, Florida, which is the largest correctional facility for women in the country.