The benefit of having skilled nurses working in prisons has been noted in a recent report from the Chief Inspector of Prisons (Home Office 1998). This report recommended that the organisation of health care in prisons be made the responsibility of the NHS.

This is the first book aimed specifically at nurses working in prisons. There is a specific set of skills needed to be a prison nurse. The environment is radically different to other areas of practice and the nurse-patient relationship and its boundaries are of paramount importance

This book is written by nursing experts in this field and includes chapters on women's health, ethnic and cultural issues, educational demands, the legal and political settings, prison culture, and suicide.