Anyone work at San Quentin Prison?

[psychonurse771]

I am thinking about working at San Quentin Prison and was wondering if anyone has worked there or knows someone who has.

Just wondering what the work is like.

Thanks

[zimsaint]

I am thinking about working at San Quentin Prison and was wondering if anyone has worked there or knows someone who has.

Just wondering what the work is like.

Thanks

Sorry, I don't work at San Quentin but it sound interesting. Is it a federal facility or is it ran by the state?

[elprup, BSN, RN]

check under "corrections" under specialty. There's a bunch of info about working in the prisons and you can also search on san quentin specifically and get some good info. That's how I found info.

[Dolce, RN]

No. And I have no desire to. :uhoh21:

[Ginger45]

NO, NO, NO. I have heard about it. Heavy duty criminals go there. I do not know anyone who has worked there.

I have worked in a prison, it is generally a state job or at least mine was. The guards never leave your side. It made me kind of sad because this was the hospital part and alot of them had been there years and years for marijuana (20 or more). It was freezing and they were only allowed to wear scrubs. This was not a facility that held the murderers etc.

[TazziRN, RN]

Ginger, SQ is where the people on Death Row go here in CA.

I live near two state prisons, and I have no desire to work in the system......mostly because I don't think I have the personality for it. I have known nurses that worked in the prisons here, and I admire them for it. They liked it, but the ones who left did so for similar reasons: lack of variety. These were ER nurses, if that tells you anything. One of my neighbors worked the prison for many years before retiring, and she loved it.

[sfsn]

I worked with a nurse a couple of times, who used to work as a nurse at San Quentin. I never got to talk to her about it, but let me just say she was one of those people that look like they're really tough and they won't take crap from anyone.

I would think if you're not already that way when you start working there, you would be after a while! She was also really nice and funny.

I always thought it would be really interesting to be a prison nurse. Could give you a really different perspective on life. And maybe a chance to care for people that not many people care for. Good money too, right?

Hope you get the job if you decide you want it!

[czyja, MSN, RN]

I am thinking about working at San Quentin Prison and was wondering if anyone has worked there or knows someone who has.

Just wondering what the work is like.

Thanks

I know a nurse practitioner that worked there and she loved it. I also now several people that have volunteered as teachers at SQ -all found it rewarding. I would, however, offer that I hang out with a rather socially involved group of people.

Nursing with Cal dept of corrections is now a very well compensated job. They have many applicants for each position although I think SQ may be a little less competitive because cost of living in the Bay Area is very high.

To the later poster - San Quentin is a maximum security state prison located on an extraordinarily beautiful piece of real estate on the San Francisco Bay. It is where our death row is, but it is my no means the "toughest" of our prisons.

[mixyplixy]

I wouldnt work in SQ as your first job in corrections...very heavy duty gangs etc. The place is huge very old drafty and windy. They pay more since no one wants to work there! You have to apply on line, its the only way they accept apps. The whole system is screwed up since they were taken over by the Feds since CA was doing such a lousey job. Good benefits tho if youre into it. Start maybe with CMF and trnsfer with some eperience. (fewer gangs)

[Gent]

One bad thing about SQ is the cost of living is very high around SF but the pay is the same for SVSP and CTC which is far away from the city with much cheaper cost of living. This is one of the reason why job opening at SQ seems always exist on top of touch prison population.

[czyja, MSN, RN]

One bad thing about SQ is the cost of living is very high around SF but the pay is the same for SVSP and CTC which is far away from the city with much cheaper cost of living. This is one of the reason why job opening at SQ seems always exist on top of touch prison population.

Right. Living here is not cheap. Plus, SQ is located in Marin county, one of the priciest parts of the bay area.

Another thing affecting pay may be the number of nursing jobs available in the bay area with good pay. There are many nursing jobs available here and all pay pretty darn well. In more rural locations there are fewer nursing jobs available and they probably dont pay as well as the dept of corrections pays these days.

[Ginger45]

I knew that SQ was for death row inmates. I was trying to be delicate about it. I am sure that it would be very rewarding for some. I would not want to do it myself.