Ward 4B

2018

The prison hospital in Fröndenberg (JVK) is one of the largest and most secure of its kind. The security standards correspond to those of a normal prison.  For this reason, it may only be used for the treatment of prisoners; it is not available for civil purposes. Prisoners from all over North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) are brought to the prison hospital for their treatment. 

The JVK was opened in November 1986; before prisoners had to be brought to normal hospitals for treatment and guarded there around the clock. Due to the high population density, NRW has the most inmates within Germany and it was economically advantageous to open a hospital only for the treatment of prisoners. 

In the JVK it can also be determined whether the person to be detained is liable to imprisonment. In the past, many convicted criminals had tried to escape their prison sentences on the grounds of incapacity. This has no longer been possible since the Fröndenberg JVK was opened.

In the JVK, nurses also take on the role of social contact persons. Since medical interventions and ward stays are often permanent, the otherwise isolated prisoners often seek social interaction during the treatments. For this the nurses do not receive any additional training. 

What does everyday life in a prison hospital look like and how does it differ from everyday life in a normal hospital? Is it omnipresent that one is in a prison or can the impression be created that one is in a normal hospital?