I am a student vocational nurse and live in San Francisco. Almost every week in the Sunday edition of the San Francisco Chronicle, there is a big ad from the CA Department of Corrections for RNs/LVNs with nice starting salaries. I have visited their website, and it is my understanding that you can apply for a position with the CA Dept. of Corr. 6 months prior to your graduation date. I too, am interested in working in this field when I graduate. Good Luck!