Elizabeth Fry: What did the first women’s prison reformer do?

Fry first visited Newgate Prison in 1813 and discovered “an absolute hellhole”, according to Prof Rosalind Crone from the Open University, based in Milton Keynes.

“The guard said, ‘I don’t think we can let you go in, they’re a bunch of wild beasts, they’ll steal your valuables’,” said the history professor.

“But she went in and saw some terrible sights, recorded in her journal, including women taking the clothes of a dead baby to give them to another living one.”

Many of the women, who were not segregated from male prisoners and were awaiting deportation to Australia, were drunk and violent.

Some had their children with them; others delivered babies while in prison.

“When she returned in 1816, women were now separated from men, but the conditions were still dire, and she decided to open her Bible to read to them. They became quiet and listened,” said Prof Crone.

“It gave her heart, and she came up with a plan for the prison – a way to structure it that she thought would be beneficial and would turn these ‘wild beasts’ into Christian women able to contribute to society – and give them peace as well.”