Federal Prison Internships / Careers???

[Solipsism3]

I'm considering trying to do my predoc internship at one of the federal prisons around the country. I've been looking at the info posted on the bureau of prison's website and the individual descriptions posted by the 13 sites. My question is this: it seems that the majority of psychologists that are working are at these sites attended professional schools. Any theories on why that is the case?

I've read that professional schools generally have a poor reputation and may produce less competitive applicants for internship. I believe that most of the psychologists that now work in a prison began by completing a predoctoral internship at a federal prison. Nowadays these internships appear to be highly competitive (APPIC stats), at least partially due to the higher pay rate which is around 50K. If these sites are highly competitive why are the majority of the staff from professional schools? Is it because it's such an undesirable place to work? Additionally, as a career option, working in a federal prison seems to provide for a comfortable lifestyle. They earn around 70K one year out of school, can get up to 100K, have a 40 work week, and solid federal employee benefits. Why are psychologists from universities not in these jobs?

Thanks for any insight.

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[JeyRo]

I'm considering trying to do my predoc internship at one of the federal prisons around the country. I've been looking at the info posted on the bureau of prison's website and the individual descriptions posted by the 13 sites. My question is this: it seems that the majority of psychologists that are working are at these sites attended professional schools. Any theories on why that is the case?

I've read that professional schools generally have a poor reputation and may produce less competitive applicants for internship. I believe that most of the psychologists that now work in a prison began by completing a predoctoral internship at a federal prison. Nowadays these internships appear to be highly competitive (APPIC stats), at least partially due to the higher pay rate which is around 50K. If these sites are highly competitive why are the majority of the staff from professional schools? Is it because it's such an undesirable place to work? Additionally, as a career option, working in a federal prison seems to provide for a comfortable lifestyle. They earn around 70K one year out of school, can get up to 100K, have a 40 work week, and solid federal employee benefits. Why are psychologists from universities not in these jobs?

Thanks for any insight.

I'd never work in a prison. Been there, did that for about a month as a contractor in a California state prison. It was like working in a medieval dungeon, no joke.

 

[deleted176373]

Believe or not, despite the reputation of professional schools in general, some very talented people go to them for a variety of reasons. It's a case of the cream rising to the top. I have met plenty of very talented psychologists who have gone to schools that most would label as "garbage" degree mills.

Don't let the graduate school someone attended automatically generate the assumption that the person is poorly trained. You would be over-generalizing if you do. I let my interaction with the person drive my opinion of them, not where they went to school.

Mark

 

[erg923]

[

I'm considering trying to do my predoc internship at one of the federal prisons around the country. I've been looking at the info posted on the bureau of prison's website and the individual descriptions posted by the 13 sites. My question is this: it seems that the majority of psychologists that are working are at these sites attended professional schools. Any theories on why that is the case?

I've read that professional schools generally have a poor reputation and may produce less competitive applicants for internship. I believe that most of the psychologists that now work in a prison began by completing a predoctoral internship at a federal prison. Nowadays these internships appear to be highly competitive (APPIC stats), at least partially due to the higher pay rate which is around 50K. If these sites are highly competitive why are the majority of the staff from professional schools? Is it because it's such an undesirable place to work? Additionally, as a career option, working in a federal prison seems to provide for a comfortable lifestyle. They earn around 70K one year out of school, can get up to 100K, have a 40 work week, and solid federal employee benefits. Why are psychologists from universities not in these jobs?

Thanks for any insight.

1. Lots of Prof schools have tracks in "forensic psychology"...so they are just producing alot numbers. Alot of potential people that fit with these sites. For example, one Argosy cohort may contain as many forensic track people as exist in all the traditional university forensic tracks in the country.

2. The VA provides higher pay actually, LESS STRESS, A MORE PLEASANT WORK ENVIORNMENT, and academic ties and research opps. Academic practice folk often end up there. The BOP really has no opps or focus on research...even for full staff psychologists.

 

[Sanman]

The bottom line becomes that many people don't find a prison environment pleasant and despite the objective perks, it is a difficult environment to work in emotionally and can be downright dangerous depending on who you are seeing. Thus, many people opt for safer work places even if that means less pay. Not sure if you are male or female, but I can imagine women being very uncomfortable if they have to work with a male correctional population that includes violent offenders.

 

[ForensicPsych26]

I am one of those students at a professional school and specializing in forensic psychology. Our classes are specialized for us to be placed in prison/jails...many of the people in our cohort also LOVE the setting. This is a undeserved population that we want to help, which is why we are in the program. I cannot explain why more individuals within prisons/jails are not from universities...but I can say that I obtained my undergraduate degree from a university and when I told them I was getting my Masters and Doctorate in forensic psych they told me I was doing the wrong thing...which I politely disagreed with.

 

[erg923]

I am one of those students at a professional school and specializing in forensic psychology. Our classes are specialized for us to be placed in prison/jails...many of the people in our cohort also LOVE the setting. This is a undeserved population that we want to help, which is why we are in the program. I cannot explain why more individuals within prisons/jails are not from universities...but I can say that I obtained my undergraduate degree from a university and when I told them I was getting my Masters and Doctorate in forensic psych they told me I was doing the wrong thing...which I politely i disagreed with.

As this poster says/admits, it takes a special type. So, I think that's about a good answer any to the OPs question as there is...

 

[Pragma]

Believe or not, despite the reputation of professional schools in general, some very talented people go to them for a variety of reasons. It's a case of the cream rising to the top. I have met plenty of very talented psychologists who have gone to schools that most would label as "garbage" degree mills.

Don't let the graduate school someone attended automatically generate the assumption that the person is poorly trained. You would be over-generalizing if you do. I let my interaction with the person drive my opinion of them, not where they went to school.

Mark

I totally agree. I have a problem with FSPS mostly because of the sheer number of students they admit, from the apparent lack of rigor involved at SOME of the places, and for the bind that they put their students in come internship time. But I still do know some excellent clinicians who have graduated from FSPS.

Edit: I will note that it seems some students in some of these programs like shortcuts (e.g., getting dissertation consultation where you pay someone to do it for you). But of course one can't say that is the case for all students in these programs.

 

[paramour]

I totally agree. I have a problem with FSPS mostly because of the sheer number of students they admit, from the apparent lack of rigor involved at SOME of the places, and for the bind that they put their students in come internship time. But I still do know some excellent clinicians who have graduated from FSPS.

Edit: I will note that it seems some students in some of these programs like shortcuts (e.g., getting dissertation consultation where you pay someone to do it for you). But of course one can't say that is the case for all students in these programs.

And because of this, how is anyone supposed to determine which of these internship sites inundated with faculty/supervisors who graduated from FSPS programs are beyond awesomely competent and which sites are not worth one's time? 😕 Yeah, it would be nice to go and check each one out to determine this, buuut I have limited time and money, so I certainly can't apply to all of them.

Right or wrong, I must admit bias here in that I've been marking any sites that have a majority of site faculty/supervisors who graduated from FSPS programs off my list. I'm not willing to gamble with my application fees whether or not it's a decent site. And I still managed to keep a handful of BOPs around. 👍