The politics of prison nursing and HIV/AIDS at Pollsmoor maximum security prison 1990-2008

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dc.contributor.advisorMbali, Mandisa
dc.contributor.authorNzuza, Mpumelelo
dc.date.accessioned2026-01-13T13:24:46Z
dc.date.available2026-01-13T13:24:46Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.date.updated2026-01-13T12:25:38Z
dc.description.abstractThe purpose of this thesis is to examine histories of prison nursing and the management of HIV/AIDS at Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison. South Africa is a country with a high HIV prevalence, with rates of infection being especially notable among prisoners. Extant studies of HIV/AIDS in prisons in South Africa have largely focused on inmates' experiences of receiving healthcare services in prisons. Focusing on the years 1990 to 2008, the thesis offers a social history of prison nursing over time with a focus on nurses' workplace experiences in dealing with HIV/AIDS in their patients. By investigating prison nurses' everyday realities, the thesis finds that they experience challenges because of experiencing a fraught dual-system dynamic as employees of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) who also collaborate with those based at the Department of Health (DOH). The former also tends to prioritize security over inmates' access to quality healthcare. The thesis draws upon a range of sources, including 20 oral history interviews (16 with prison nurses, two with clinical practitioners, and two with non-clinical health practitioners from the NGO TB/HIV Care); prison laws and policies, and DCS annual reports. It reaches several conclusions, such as outlining how factors such as gangs, prison violence (including sexual assault), transactional sex, substance abuse, and overcrowding affect prisoners' vulnerability to infection and their uptake of HIV prevention services provided by the nurses. Concluding in 2008, this thesis captures the significant role played by NGOs and health activists who advocated for inmates' access to effective HIV prevention and treatment services. It describes how legal activism catalyzed the provision of antiretrovirals (ARVs); this, alongside the work of NGOs such as HIV/TB Care, dramatically improved nurses' ability to provide HIV prevention and treatment services.
dc.identifier.apacitationNzuza, M. (2025). <i>The politics of prison nursing and HIV/AIDS at Pollsmoor maximum security prison 1990-2008</i>. (). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Historical Studies. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42563en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationNzuza, Mpumelelo. <i>"The politics of prison nursing and HIV/AIDS at Pollsmoor maximum security prison 1990-2008."</i> ., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Historical Studies, 2025. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42563en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationNzuza, M. 2025. The politics of prison nursing and HIV/AIDS at Pollsmoor maximum security prison 1990-2008. . University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Historical Studies. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42563en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Nzuza, Mpumelelo AB - The purpose of this thesis is to examine histories of prison nursing and the management of HIV/AIDS at Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison. South Africa is a country with a high HIV prevalence, with rates of infection being especially notable among prisoners. Extant studies of HIV/AIDS in prisons in South Africa have largely focused on inmates' experiences of receiving healthcare services in prisons. Focusing on the years 1990 to 2008, the thesis offers a social history of prison nursing over time with a focus on nurses' workplace experiences in dealing with HIV/AIDS in their patients. By investigating prison nurses' everyday realities, the thesis finds that they experience challenges because of experiencing a fraught dual-system dynamic as employees of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) who also collaborate with those based at the Department of Health (DOH). The former also tends to prioritize security over inmates' access to quality healthcare. The thesis draws upon a range of sources, including 20 oral history interviews (16 with prison nurses, two with clinical practitioners, and two with non-clinical health practitioners from the NGO TB/HIV Care); prison laws and policies, and DCS annual reports. It reaches several conclusions, such as outlining how factors such as gangs, prison violence (including sexual assault), transactional sex, substance abuse, and overcrowding affect prisoners' vulnerability to infection and their uptake of HIV prevention services provided by the nurses. Concluding in 2008, this thesis captures the significant role played by NGOs and health activists who advocated for inmates' access to effective HIV prevention and treatment services. It describes how legal activism catalyzed the provision of antiretrovirals (ARVs); this, alongside the work of NGOs such as HIV/TB Care, dramatically improved nurses' ability to provide HIV prevention and treatment services. DA - 2025 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - HIV KW - Prison nursing KW - Pollsmoor KW - Politics LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2025 T1 - The politics of prison nursing and HIV/AIDS at Pollsmoor maximum security prison 1990-2008 TI - The politics of prison nursing and HIV/AIDS at Pollsmoor maximum security prison 1990-2008 UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42563 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/42563
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationNzuza M. The politics of prison nursing and HIV/AIDS at Pollsmoor maximum security prison 1990-2008. []. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Historical Studies, 2025 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42563en_ZA
dc.language.isoen
dc.language.rfc3066eng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Historical Studies
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanities
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subjectHIV
dc.subjectPrison nursing
dc.subjectPollsmoor
dc.subjectPolitics
dc.titleThe politics of prison nursing and HIV/AIDS at Pollsmoor maximum security prison 1990-2008
dc.typeThesis / Dissertation
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
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