An interview with Marlene Davis RN, BS, MSW, nurse consultant, state of California-Parole headquarters

I had the privilege of interviewing Marlene Davis recently and not only learned about her role as Nurse Consultant with the State of California-Parole Headquarters but also gained insight into the health care needs of the prison population. Prisoners tend to experience higher infectious disease rates, more chronic conditions, higher rates of mental illness as well as the co-occurrence of substance abuse and mental illness than the general population (Perez & Treadwell, 2009). Over the past decade, the prison population has been steadily increasing and the United States ranks first in the world in this regard (Join Together, 2007). A record number of drug offenders is one of the reasons for this increase (The Sentencing Project, nd). There is evidence that most individuals do not receive treatment, despite the fact that there are principles recommended by NIDA about drug treatment for criminal justice populations (Chandler, Fletcher & Volkow, 2009; NIDA, n.d.). In addition whether ex-offenders are treated in prison and how much care is provided after they leave prisons have direct implications for a successful reintegration into society (Mallik-Kane & Visher, 2008). With this as background, I was eager to learn about Marlene's role as a nurse consultant.