Born May 21, 1780
Norwich, Norfolk, England
Died October 12, 1845
Ramsgate, Kent, England

English Quaker minister, prison reformer, and advocate for the mentally ill and the homeless

Elizabeth Fry worked to improve living conditions for women prisoners, poor people, and the mentally ill. Rooted in the Quaker tradition (Quakers are members of a religious organization that stresses simple living and nonviolence) of performing acts of compassion and charity, Fry provided clothing and education for destitute children and adults, protested harsh prison sentences, founded a homeless shelter in London, England, and helped the unemployed find work. Fry attained a legendary status due to her ceaseless devotion to a population considered dangerous and hopeless by politicians and the public alike.

“For Elizabeth Fry incarceration without an accompanying belief in the ability of the offender to change for the better and to live a meaningful life in the community was unthinkable...