The internship at the Federal Correctional Complex Allenwood is a one-year, full time training program (2,000 hours minimum). FCC Allenwood is made up of three institutions: United States Penitentiary (USP), Federal Correctional Institution (FCI), and Low Security Correctional Institution (LSCI). The FCC Allenwood reservation consists of 4,252 acres of federally owned land in central Pennsylvania, and is situated in the foothills of the Northern Allegheny Mountains. The institution is conveniently located within two to three hours from five major metropolitan areas, and interns enjoy the ability to easily travel to New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Washington DC for long weekends or holidays.
FCC Allenwood has the largest psychology department in the Bureau of Prisons with the largest number of specialty mental health missions, and we continue to grow. FCC Allenwood was recently designated the first ever “mental health penitentiary,” and we are currently activating multiple novel residential treatment units to meet the unique needs of high security inmates. These new programs target seriously mentally ill and violent offenders, offenders with severe personality disorders, offenders with intellectual and developmental disorders, and offenders who have a history of difficulty integrating into the general population. As many of the programs FCC Allenwood has been tasked with developing do not yet exist anywhere else in the Bureau of Prisons, interns will have the unique opportunity to assist with developing evidence-based programming for the new units.
In addition to the activation of new programs, FCC Allenwood is home to several established residential treatment programs, where we offer a variety of experiences in comprehensive psychological assessment, individual therapy, group therapy, and peer supervision. Interns have the unique opportunity to provide services in the Secure Mental Health - Step Down Program (SMH-SDP), which is one of two such units in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and houses 30 severely mentally ill inmates with a significant history of violence, some of whom are civilly committed. FCC Allenwood is also home to the Transitional Care Unit (TCU), which is the only program of its kind in the BOP, and addresses the transitional needs of mentally ill inmates who have spent extended periods of time in secure treatment programs or restrictive housing settings. FCC Allenwood also boasts two Residential Drug Abuse Programs (RDAP), Reintregration Units, and a general population mental health mission.
Additional information about the FCC Allenwood internship program can be found by visiting this website: alx_internship_brochure.pdf (bop.gov)
The updated 2024-2025 internship brochure is expected to be avialable online by October 1, 2024. If you would like to receive a copy before then, or for any other inquiries, please contact Dr. Stoler at the following email address: kstoler@bop.gov.
***Note on minimum hours requirement: We recognize COVID-19 may have disrupted practicum training opportunities for potential applicants. If you are interested in applying to FCC Allenwood and your direct client hours do not satisfy the minimum requirements, your application may still be considered. Please explain in your cover letter any participation in additional academic or clinical activities that supplement contact hours lost due to the pandemic.