Correctional Medicine: Find Your Calling Inside the Walls

The stories and insights in this blog were contributed by employees of CoreCivic and reflect their firsthand experiences in correctional healthcare, as shared with Dr. Walkitria Smith, Chief Population Health Officer with CoreCivic. 

On a crisp fall afternoon, I sat in my six-year-old son’s classroom as he proudly told his classmates what he wanted to be when he grew up. “A developer,” he said with absolute certainty. 

Not a builder. Not a construction worker. A developer who builds things. Watching him, I was reminded of a truth we seldom acknowledge, our dreams are shaped by exposure. 

As children, we see firefighters, teachers, nurses, and police officers, but rarely, if ever, do we meet someone who introduces us to the idea of correctional medicine. Now, after a career winding through outpatient care, academic medicine, and now leadership at CoreCivic, I see correctional healthcare not as an unexpected detour, but as a place where purpose thrives. 

During my many conversations with CoreCivic healthcare team members over the years one truth has surfaced most often: almost no one plans a career in correctional medicine, but correctional medicine has a way of calling people in.

Dietriech’s Journey: From a Small Town to Lifelong Growth 

Growing up in a small town where correctional facilities were often unwelcome, Dietriech never imagined she’d work in one, but as a young mother seeking stability, she took a role in corrections and discovered a career ripe with opportunity. She became a pharmacy nurse, utilization management nurse, and even a nurse recruiter and security officer.  

Hers is a story not of a job, but of continuous expansion. 

Brandi’s Transformation: Finding a New Spark 

After years of workers compensation and case management, Brandi felt bored. Friends encouraged her to consider corrections, telling her “it will never be boring here.” They were right. Within CoreCivic she found autonomy, dynamic problem solving, a tight knit team and renewed sense of purpose.  

A Personal Mission Born from Loss 

One staff member shared a deeply personal story about her brother who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He was frequently homeless, repeatedly jailed and ultimately lost to complications of substance use. She told me: “The way I’m built, I’m not equipped to provide direct clinical care. But I can support the system, so others get what my brother never did.” 

Her mission is one of justice, dignity, and redemption. 

Keith’s 30-Year Journey 

Keith never expected correctional medicine to become his life’s work. Trained as a surgeon, he entered corrections through locums in Indiana in 1995. Three decades later, he has managed statewide systems, served as regional medical director across nearly a dozen states, overseen start-up operations, given second chances to providers and balanced his clinical and administrative leadership.  

His message is clear: “Correctional medicine lets you practice real medicine. All of it.” 

Demystifying Safety: The Reality Inside the Walls 

Perhaps the most persistent misconception about correctional medicine is the idea that it’s unsafe. Every person I interviewed said the opposite. Due to safety protocols, predictable movement boundaries and security presence, there is a heightened since of awareness that lends itself to a more secure environment. Often, hospitals and clinics see the opposite, where provider's personal information is advertised and laxed security measures promote some level of vulnerability. 

Is Correctional Medicine Right for You? 

Correctional medicine builds loyalty. Many stay, or return, because they feel seen, valued and essential at CoreCivic facility. These are not transient careers, rather careers rooted in purpose.

Correctional healthcare is, in truth, one of the most expansive environments clinicians can experience. Providers see full-spectrum medicine daily, nurses gain real autonomy and administrators grow into experts in compliance, operations and patient advocacy.

For more information about CoreCivic, or to explore job opportunities, visit jobs.corecivic.com.

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