Corina Farai Makore, now a University of Windsor doctoral student researching correctional healthcare policy, is pictured at her 2015 MPH graduation from the University of North Texas Health Science Center. (SUBMITTED BY CORINA FARAI MAKORE/University of Windsor)
By Sara Meikle
When Corina Farai Makore began her PhD at the University of Windsor, she wasn’t just pursuing a long-held personal goal, she was equipping herself to change a system.
As healthcare manager at the South West Detention Centre in Windsor, Makore leads 50 nurses and oversees a 10-bed infirmary providing 24/7 care for incarcerated patients.
At the same time, she is a scholar using her doctoral research to guide policy reform and strengthen correctional nursing in Ontario.
Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Makore was inspired by her mother to become a nurse.
“She was a nurse, and she talked to me a lot about helping other people,” Makore says. “It stuck.”
After earning her associate’s degree in nursing in 1990, she relocated to the United States where she went on to complete a Bachelor of Science in nursing and a dual master’s in nursing administration and public health. She built a strong career in nursing leadership before moving to Windsor in 2021 to support her sister through a battle with cancer.
Correctional nursing was not part of Makore’s plan.
What began as a role to fulfill the College of Nurses of Ontario license requirements quickly evolved.
Soon after starting as a registered nurse at the South West Detention Centre, she successfully applied for the healthcare manager position. Nearly five years later, she has grown deeply committed to the field — and is determined to improve it.
That determination is now central to her doctoral work at the University of Windsor. Correctional healthcare is the focus of her PhD research.
“I want to be instrumental to the body of nursing,” she says. “If I can contribute something meaningful before I retire, I will be happy.”
Through her studies, Makore examines trauma-informed care in correctional environments where restrictive, punitive practices can retraumatize individuals with complex histories. Nurses are often the first clinical contact during intake, placing them in a critical position to recognize trauma early and prevent further harm.
Her research informs her day-to-day leadership and her growing role in policy reform.
Makore serves on the provincial nursing advisory committee and is actively involved in reviewing and clarifying correctional health policies, many of which were written decades ago from an operational or legal lens rather than a clinical one.
“There is a dual obligation of care and custody,” she says. “How do you advocate for your patient while navigating operational rules and ensuring everyone’s safety?”
Ambiguity in policy can delay care, complicate documentation and create fear among nurses concerned about legal repercussions. The frequent mention of “inquests,” for example, can discourage documentation — a cornerstone of safe nursing practice.
Makore is working to change that culture. She is helping redefine healthcare as a distinct department within corrections and advocating for clearer, plain-language policies that support nursing judgment.
“Healthcare has historically been lumped into operational language that doesn’t reflect nursing practice,” she says. “Vague policy language can lead to inconsistent interpretations, creating barriers to care.”
She is also pushing for specialized education in correctional nursing, similar to pathways that exist for emergency or oncology care.
Her relationship with the University of Windsor is central to that effort. Makore has sent members of her nursing team to speak with UWindsor students and hopes to see correctional nursing more formally integrated into the curriculum.
“Preparing nurses for this environment improves safety, confidence and patient outcomes,” Makore said.
Makore also believes meaningful change requires addressing long-standing attitudes about correctional health care, particularly the tendency to see individuals primarily as inmates rather than as patients deserving of care. She believes creating a supportive, trauma-informed environment means shifting these perspectives across the entire facility, among both operational and healthcare staff.
She encourages colleagues to reflect on how attitudes can be shaped by the high-stress nature of correctional work, where safety concerns and survival instincts often influence behaviour. For Makore, human-centred care must extend not only to patients but also to the providers who care for them.
“I am passionate about helping people — period,” she says. “I became a nurse to help people, and you don’t pick and choose who you help.”
As a doctoral student and community leader, Makore is bridging scholarship and practice — translating research into policy and mentorship. With the support of the University of Windsor, she is not only advancing her own education but helping reshape correctional nursing for the next generation.
“My motivation is to make it right for the next person,” says Makore. “I want the policy to be in place, so that they won’t have to go through what I went through learning the ropes.”
In a field often overlooked, she is working to ensure that care — and compassion — remain at its centre.