Health behind bars: can exploring the history of prison health systems impact future policy?

Abstract

The value of history is, indeed, not scientific but moral … it prepares us to live more humanely in the present, and to meet rather than to foretell, the future - Carl Becker. Becker's quote reminds us of the importance of revealing and understanding historical practices in order to influence actions in the future. There are compelling reasons for uncovering this history, in particular to better inform government policy makers and health advocates, and to address the impacts of growing community expectations to 'make the punishment fit the crime'.

Historical Context of Custodial Health Nursing in New South Wales, Australia

“…It was not until almost 50 years later that a discrete health service for prisoners was established under the Prisons Regulation Act 1840 (4 Vic, No. 29), the first colonial legislation regulating prisons, public health, and medical services (Weston et al, 2018). Although this legislation specifically compelled prison medical officers (the term “medical officer” is still used for medical doctors in NSW custodial health services) to keep a daily record of the health and care of the patients for whom they were responsible and required reporting to the Comptroller General of Prisons, it did not mandate or describe in any detail the personnel required to provide the day-to-day care.…”