Vogel’s experience highlights the near-total absence of licensed mental health professionals within the prison system. Inmates with severe mental health conditions — from psychosis and schizophrenia to untreated trauma — are often housed alongside violent offenders, exacerbating their distress. In many cases, these individuals receive no consistent therapy or psychiatric care, and their conditions worsen in isolation. The few programs that exist are largely volunteer-based and overwhelmingly faith-driven, leaving no space for evidence-based mental health care informed by clinical research and best practices.

This reality presents a unique circumstance for the mental health research community to directly engage with underserved populations — populations that are often excluded from traditional clinical trials and data collection. Involvement in prison-based programming allows researchers to better understand how untreated trauma, severe mental illness, and systemic neglect contribute to recidivism, re-traumatization, and barriers to successful reintegration. Without this crucial data and firsthand exposure, our understanding of effective mental health interventions remains incomplete.

Vogel advocates for a simple yet transformative step: encouraging mental health professionals — including those involved in clinical research — to volunteer in prisons. Whether offering direct counseling, facilitating trauma-informed programs, or conducting observational research, these professionals bring a level of expertise and evidence-based care that is virtually absent from most facilities. By participating in or developing prison-based research initiatives, clinical researchers can help document the gaps in care, assess the efficacy of existing (often improvised) programs, and advocate for system-wide reforms rooted in data and human-centered care.

The current state of mental health care in prisons is a missed opportunity for both advancing research and addressing a profound social injustice. Clinical researchers are uniquely positioned to both study and improve the mental health outcomes of incarcerated populations — populations that disproportionately suffer from undiagnosed and untreated psychiatric conditions. By stepping into these overlooked spaces, clinical researchers can transform personal observation into actionable data, ultimately influencing policy, improving standards of care, and expanding the scope of ethical, inclusive mental health research.

Mental health clinical researchers are in a unique position to make a lasting impact by volunteering their expertise inside correctional facilities. By supporting evidence-based mental health care for incarcerated individuals, we can help break cycles of untreated trauma and recidivism.

What You Can Do

1. Contact the Prison Directly

• Reach out to the prison’s administration, specifically the warden, treatment services coordinator, or volunteer coordinator.
• Inquire about current volunteer opportunities related to mental health support, reentry programming, substance use support, or general counseling services.
• Offer your credentials and explain your background — emphasizing your experience in evidence-based mental health care, trauma-informed care, or specialized expertise (e.g., PTSD, addiction treatment, family therapy, etc.).
• Be prepared to undergo background checks, clearance processes, and training (though these vary widely between facilities).

2. Partner with Existing Programs or Advocacy Groups

• Many NAMI chapters, advocacy organizations, or reentry programs already have relationships with prisons and jails.
• Offer to volunteer through those channels, which might streamline access and reduce administrative barriers.
• Examples: Partner with NAMI’s In Our Own Voice, peer support programs, or trauma-informed group therapy initiatives.

3. Propose a Program

• If the prison lacks structured mental health programming, consider proposing a group curriculum (such as a psychoeducation group on coping skills, trauma, or emotional regulation).
• Emphasize flexibility — offering both in-person and virtual options can increase the likelihood of approval.
• Use evidence-based models, such as DBT-informed groups, stress management workshops, or reentry-focused counseling.

4. Collaborate with Reentry Programs

• Many states and localities have community reentry programs for individuals transitioning out of prison.
• Offer volunteer counseling, case consultation, or even participate in research collaborations to evaluate the mental health needs of those recently released.

5. Advocate and Educate

• Even if direct volunteering isn’t feasible, advocating for policy changes within your professional associations (APA, NASW, etc.) can help push for more mental health-focused reentry planning and better integration of evidence-based mental health care in prisons.
• Use your platform to educate colleagues on the reality of mental health care in corrections — the more professionals who understand the need, the more momentum there will be for systemic change.

Here’s a sample email a mental health professional could send to a prison warden, volunteer coordinator, or treatment services director to offer their services as a volunteer.

Here’s a sample email for a clinical research site or group practice that wants to offer structured mental health programming or research-informed services to a correctional facility.