The health promoting prison (HPP) and its imperative for nursing

The World Health Organisation's (WHO) Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion in 1986 provided the catalyst from which the Health Promoting Prison (HPP) movement emerged. Here, an extensive review of the available prison-related health literature provides the basis for critical discussion and recommendations for nursing services and prison-related health care. The findings suggest that current prison-based nursing services are seriously neglected and woefully lacking in structure and resources. This article recommends strategies for reform that includes nurses who practice in all settings, and not just prison-based nurses. If nurses wish to be at the forefront of future HPP strategies, they must first embrace the radical health promotion reforms that are emerging from the current literature. Building sustainable group capacity into prison-based health care, through developing social interaction, cohesion, participation and political action can only benefit the community at large and further emphasise the health promotion role of nursing.