I Was a Psychologist Inside Rikers Island — Here's What Nobody Talks About | Dr Becky Fenton

Dr. Becky Fenton started her career as a psychologist at Sing Sing Correctional Facility before being recruited to Rikers Island to supervise its psychiatric division — one of the largest and most challenging mental health systems in the country. In this episode of Locked In with Ian Bick, Becky breaks down what it was really like working inside one of America's most notorious jail systems from the other side of the cell door. She opens up about the violence and instability inside Rikers, the trauma on both sides of the system, her role in implementing Crisis Intervention Training for mental health emergencies, and what it takes to stay grounded when the environment around you is anything but. _____________________________________________ #RikersIsland #PrisonPsychology #TrueCrime _____________________________________________ Connect with Dr Becky Fenton: https://www.longislandpsychologyandconsulting.com/ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ _____________________________________________ Shop Locked In Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 From Prison Psychologist to Private Practice — Her Story 01:48 The Early Influences and Personality That Led Her to This Work 03:37 The Education and Career Shift Nobody Expected 06:00 How She Ended Up as a Psychologist Inside Prison 08:49 Sing Sing vs Rikers Island — The Differences Nobody Talks About 11:16 Mental Health Inside Prison vs Mental Health in Hospitals — The Reality Gap 14:24 When Security and Mental Health Priorities Collide — Who Wins 18:18 Safety Violence and What It Really Takes to Advocate for Staff 20:59 How Trauma Shapes Inmate Behavior — What Most People Get Wrong 24:15 Vicarious Trauma — What Working in Prison Does to the Staff 27:15 Crisis Intervention and Deescalation — What Actually Works Behind Bars 32:33 What a Typical Day Really Looks Like Working at Rikers Island 36:31 Suicide Watch and What Inmate Care Actually Involves 39:12 Male vs Female Jails — The Shocking Differences Nobody Discusses 44:01 A Complete Day Inside Rikers Island — Hour by Hour Reality 47:20 What Destroys New Staff and How to Survive the First Year 53:01 The Truth About Solitary Confinement — What the Research Actually Shows 56:01 Rehabilitation vs Punishment — Which One Actually Works 01:00:41 Medication Management and What Happens to Inmates at Discharge 01:03:41 The Non Clinical Duties Nobody Warns You About in Federal Systems 01:06:50 How She Switched Off After Working in One of the World's Most Stressful Environments 01:10:14 The Programs and Therapy Practices That Actually Make a Difference 01:13:11 Why She Finally Left Rikers Island — The Real Reason 01:16:12 Private Practice and Why She Still Advocates for Prison Reform 01:19:01 What She Would Tell Her Younger Self — Final Thoughts _____________________________________________ To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices