Dr. Alix McLearen is a distinguished licensed clinical psychologist that has testified before the United States Commission on Civil Rights and women’s prison conditions, served as the Department of Justice’s witness in the US v. Texas abortion case and represented the United States at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Corrections symposium in Tokyo, Japan. Dr. McLearen is a prolific author and a leading voice on issues related to correctional, legal, and mental health topics within the United States prison system with emphasis on special populations. Her extensive experience built over decades of service within correctional institutions resulted in her appointment to lead the National Institute of Corrections. In this capacity, Dr. McLearen impacted public safety by shaping policy and practices across the 750,000 US correctional facilities workforce.

Over her 20+ years with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Dr. McLearen held numerous positions of increasing responsibility. Notably, she developed and implemented the agency’s first program for individuals with cognitive impairments and served as Chief Psychologist at the Federal Correctional Institution in Memphis, Tennessee. She was also among the agency’s early experts on sexual dangerousness, playing a key role in the full implementation of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act.

In 2014, Dr. McLearen was named BOP’s first National Administrator for Women and Special Populations. In this groundbreaking role, she provided training and oversight to all 122 federal facilities and 35,000 employees, addressing the needs of women, juveniles, persons with disabilities, veterans, and the aging and transgender populations. Concurrently, she served as the agency’s Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Coordinator, developing national training and compliance standards to prevent sexual assault. Later, in leadership positions, Dr. McLearen oversaw agency reentry initiatives, including mental health services, education and religious programming, and over 200 halfway houses. She managed a nearly $1 billion budget, directed over 300 division staff, and was instrumental in advancing societal reentry practices, including developing a custom needs assessment tool.

Throughout her career, Dr. McLearen has been a passionate advocate for normalcy, access to treatment, and innovation in corrections. Her numerous achievements include providing free feminine hygiene products to all women in custody, introducing over 50 new treatment and education programs nationwide, developing staff training on trauma, gender, humanity, and safety in prisons, and launching both the agency’s first veteran’s unit and integrated treatment facilities. She also initiated the agency’s collaborative workforce development programs, securing over $100 million for training and hiring justice-involved individuals and negotiated numerous agency policies to improve reintegration services.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Correctional Facility Operations: Women, Gender, and Special Populations, Correctional Policy Development and Compliance, Mental Health Issues to Include Substance Use Treatment and Suicide, Staffing and Employment Issues, Conditions of Confinement, Re-entry and Education, Prison and Jail Operations, and Conditions of Confinement Including Solitary Confinement