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Prison Nursing Unlocked: A history of care and justice

14 Mar 2025

Discover the little-known history of prison nursing and the vital contribution that nurses make to prisoner welfare today.

Today, nurses play a vital role in prison health care. At the heart of their work is ‘equitable care’ – ensuring that people in prison receive the same quality of health care as those in the community. However, as recently as 30 years ago, many prisoners would never have encountered a registered nurse.

This exhibition explores the fascinating history of health care in prisons, from the work of early reformers like Elizabeth Fry to the vital contribution that nurses make to prisoner health today. Discover the experiences of suffragettes, force-fed in Holloway Prison, the formation of secure hospitals like Broadmoor, and artwork created by prisoners and nurses at HM Prison Eastwood Park and HM Prison Warren Hill.

The exhibition was co-created with ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ members, with support from the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ History of Nursing Forum and the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Forensic and Justice Nursing Forum.

The exhibition will run at ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ London HQ, Thursday 24 April – Friday 19 December 2025 and then at ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Scotland (final dates tbc).

 

View the online exhibition here.

Page last updated - 08/05/2025