How Did Elizabeth Fry Contribute To Prison Reform

Elizabeth Fry was born in England in 1780 to an influential family of Quakers. Compared to other Quakers of the time, Elizabeth grew up in an environment that was considered “worldly.” She was heavily influenced by her mother who saw the importance of educating both her sons and daughters and also taught her children the importance of caring for those less fortunate. At the age of nineteen, Fry had a conversion experience and from that point on committed herself completely to observing Quaker traditions. The following year, Elizabeth was married, and she and her husband eventually had eleven children. In 1809 Fry began preaching in Quaker churches, and in 1811, she became a minister. In 1813, a friend suggested she visit a female prison. She was shocked and appalled at the conditions she found. Because of this experience, she began the work she is most well-known for her prison reform.
Contrary to popular belief, Fry thought that the women in the prisons should be treated fairly and could be reformed. At this time the general thought was prisons were a place where people needed to be punished not rehabilitated. Most people thought this was the way it should be and nothing could change this system (Galli & Olsen, 2000, p. 286) …show more content…
She had good insights, organizational abilities, and persistence. After visiting the prison in 1813, she then took time to gather information about the living conditions of women who were in prisons all over England from 1813-1816 (Hamm, 2003, p. 240). After that, she took a holistic approach when ministering to the women and provided not only for their basic physical needs but also focused on education, life skills, and their spiritual needs. Fry also founded the Association for the Improvement of the Female Prisoners in Newgate, and she campaigned for the rights of female prisoners even appearing before the House of Commons (Rusten, 2005, p.