Why I Spent 23 Years in a Prison — And Would Do It Again

After 23 years as a registered nurse inside California's corrections system — from staff RN to senior clinical leadership — I have a simple answer to the question everyone eventually asks: it was the best career decision I ever made.

What Correctional Nursing Actually Is

Correctional nursing is acute care nursing in a controlled environment. The patient population has higher rates of chronic disease, mental illness, and substance use disorder than the general population. The acuity is real. The clinical challenges are real. The skills you develop — triage, de-escalation, independent clinical judgment, documentation under scrutiny — are transferable to any healthcare setting.

The Financial Case

CDCR nursing positions are state positions. They come with CalPERS pensions, state health benefits, and PSLF eligibility. Over a 25-year career, the total compensation advantage of a CDCR position over a comparable private hospital position — when you account for pension value, healthcare, and loan forgiveness — can exceed $400,000.

What I Would Tell a New Graduate

I would tell them to consider it seriously. Not as a fallback. Not as a temporary position while they wait for something better. As a career. As a deliberate choice to build something durable, in a setting that rewards longevity and develops clinical excellence. Twenty-three years. I would do it again.