Juana Summers

Hi there.

Thanks for being here.

So, Alex, as I understand it, you joined the Bureau of Presence back in 2003 and then retired in 2024.

When you think back to the start of your time there, what were staff levels and morale like for psychologists?

Alex, this may be a bit of a basic question, but I'm hoping you can just spell it out for us.

In your view, why are psychologists so important within the federal prison system?

So then when there aren't enough psychologists working at a prison, what kind of problems can that create?

Can you give us one or two examples?

I mean, I know that in any institution, there are often a lot of reasons that contribute to staffing shortages.

But when we talk about the Bureau of Prisons, what do you think is the most significant reason for this?

Alex McLaren worked in the Federal Bureau of Prisons as a psychologist and as the acting director for the National Institute of Corrections.

Alex, thank you.

We reached out to the Federal Bureau of Prisons for comment.

They responded with an email stating that improving mental health services was a top priority and detailing some of the key actions being undertaken.

The email read in part,

Through targeted investment, workforce modernization, and operational innovation, the Bureau is taking steps to stabilize and strengthen mental health services across its institutions.

This episode was produced by Jason Fuller and Karen Zamora with audio engineering by Ted Meebane.

It was edited by Jeanette Woods and Courtney Dorming.

Our executive producer is Sammy Yannigan.

It's Consider This from NPR.