Dr. Alix McLearen, a clinical psychologist, was appointed by the U.S. Attorney General as Acting Director of the National Institute of Corrections (NIC). McLearen has twenty years of experience in government and law enforcement, having served in the federal Bureau of Prisons, most recently as Acting Assistant Director for the BOP’s Reentry Services Division. In 2018, McLearen received the BOP’s Myrl E. Alexander Award, the agency’s highest honor for employees who have developed or implemented innovative approaches to corrections.
The agency says McLearen’s priority will be to balance its internal needs with the needs of its stakeholders and customers while expanding the customer base and agency footprint. As an advocate for NIC and its role in providing service and technical assistance to federal, state, local, and tribal jurisdictions, McLearen's first undertaking as acting director will be to address NIC’s budgetary status and the shortages in staffing and other resources that the agency has experienced for some time.