Bureau of Prisons Touts Diversity of Mental Problems

The Bureau of Prisons has a pitch to prospective workers: the opportunity to work in an environment filled with a rich diversity of mental illnesses.

In a Facebook ad, the BOP stressed that it offers psychologists the opportunity to work with every disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, triggering backlash on social media for using incarcerated people’s mental health problems as a recruitment tool.

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“The clinical diversity you find at the Federal Bureau of Prisons is far beyond private practice. See for yourself. Join us,” the ad proclaimed with an image quoting Dr. Jamila Thomas, a regional psychologist. “Flip to any DSM page. Whatever disorder you land on, you’ll find it here.”

The DSM is a manual that contains the latest scientific literature on the “diagnosis and manifestations of mental disorders” published by the American Psychological Association. The ad directs users to a jobs page showcasing a slew of open positions with a more conventional message that emphasizes the bureau’s work aims to “serve those who need help most.” The ad was launched March 30 but has generated some recent traction on social media.

“Huh. The Bureau of Prisons said the quiet part out loud,” Rev. Emily Heath, tweeted Monday. “I’m not saying that there is never a reason for anyone to be in jail. I’m just saying we would have far fewer people there if we invested in mental health care and substance abuse treatment.”

“I don’t know what the Bureau of Prisons thought they were saying with this ad. But yeah, we try to incarcerate away mental illness in this country,” Deb Golden, a civil rights lawyer in Washington, D.C., tweeted Sunday. “Who wants to be a psychologist in a stab vest?”

It is unclear how much money BOP spent on the ad, but prior ad buys for recruitment typically ranged between $1,500 and $2,500, according to Facebook. The BOP appears to be on something of a hiring spree, with dozens of positions open in locations across the country for staff psychology alone.

“The market research conducted and used to design the campaign to recruit Psychologists into the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) indicated potential applicants were interested in the opportunity to work with patients with a variety of mental health diagnoses,” a spokesperson for BOP told the Washington Examiner. “The purpose of our ad is to highlight to candidates the many opportunities available for clinical diversity.”

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The United States has the largest reported incarcerated population on the planet, with more than 2 million people in prison, according to World Population Review. An estimated 37% of prisoners in the U.S. have a history of mental health issues, per the APA.

“The BOP is committed to increasing the access our population has to high-quality mental health services and our ad campaign is intended to draw great applicants to apply,” BOP added.