Conducting Prison Research in a Foreign Setting

Kazemian, Lila

doi:10.5204/ijcjsd.v4i1.199

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 27 publications

(23 reference statements)

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“…Because of the very short length of the majority of French prison sentences, we could not wait until months after the elections nor take our time to develop a rigorous framework for our study: most prisoners in a position to vote for the EU elections would have left prison by then. Obtaining access to a French prison can also be an extremely slow process, full of obstacles and disappointments (Kazemian 2015). As it was, we had approximately two to three months to obtain access, and to think about, and develop, our protocol.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

French Prisoners Cast their Vote in the 2019 European Elections: An ad hoc Analysis of their Electoral Choices and Political Attitudes

Herzog‐Evans

Thomas

2020

Howard J Crime Justice

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France belongs to a group of jurisdictions where the vast majority of prisoners retain their right to vote, but where it remained difficult to exercise this right until a March 2019 Act unexpectedly allowed them to vote via a booth and ballot box for the EU parliamentary elections. This article analyses their participation and political choices at a national level. It further presents the result of an ad hoc study conducted in three prisons which explored prisoners' political culture, their interest in political life, their perception of the political challenges and contemporary questions, and their political convictions and values. Our general findings are that prisoners only partially differ from the general population regarding their political choices. At a deeper level, the findings also show that prisoners have more 'political capital' than politicians assume. We conclude with comments on the untapped potential this holds for their reintegration into the community.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

French Prisoners Cast their Vote in the 2019 European Elections: An ad hoc Analysis of their Electoral Choices and Political Attitudes

Herzog‐Evans

Thomas

2020

Howard J Crime Justice

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“…Prior knowledge of how things work in a prison facility has been touted as important to researchers in turning potential disruptions by security protocols during data collection to the researcher’s advantage (Fox et al, 2011; Johnson et al, 2015). During this study, with prior knowledge of the mandatory number checking and food collection schedules, I was able to structure the interviews so that mandatory breaks during interviews were not disruptive (as reported by prevailing prison-based researchers; Kazemian, 2015), but a time to reflect on previous participant responses to prompt in-depth probing upon recommencement of the interviews. It was also a time to gain the trust and nurture professional relationships with gatekeepers, which later softened the rigid supervision regimes of the early days of data collection.…”

Section: Dealing With Security Protocols Emotions and Maintaining Met...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Doing Qualitative Research in a Controlled Site: Challenges, Lessons, and Strategies

Baffour

Francis

Chong

et al. 2022

Crime & Delinquency

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This paper reflects on the process of undertaking qualitative research with incarcerated individuals and prison staff in selected Ghana prisons. The challenges encountered during the planning, approval, and fieldwork stages, as well as measures adopted to address these challenges, have been discussed. The paper aims to serve as a guide to novel prison researchers in the sub-Saharan African context, given that the majority of studies on challenges and approaches to conducting prison research have come from jurisdictions outside the region. To this end, given the unique nature of the prison governance system in Ghana and other sub-Saharan African countries, this paper contributes to filling a knowledge gap in qualitative prison research.

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“…It would require longitudinal data collected at several points during the period of incarceration with questions of a potentially sensitive nature (i.e., offending, mental health outcomes, etc.). This might pose problems with institutional review boards, which are highly sensitive to research involving vulnerable populations (for an account of the tedious IRB process involved in prison research, see Kazemian, ). In addition, research of this nature requires the cooperation of the Department of Corrections and the willingness to provide additional staff and resources when researchers are present in the facility, which can be a tall order when resources are limited.…”

Section: Suggestions Going Forwardmentioning

confidence: 99%

Imperative for Inclusion of Long Termers and Lifers in Research and Policy

Kazemian

Travis

2015

Criminology & Public Policy

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Research SummaryAlthough numerous studies have highlighted the negative consequences of mass incarceration, life-course and criminal career research has largely failed to document psychological, social, and behavioral changes that occur during periods of incarceration. This oversight is particularly noteworthy in the case of individuals serving long sentences, as they spend a significant portion of the life course behind bars. The policies and programs targeting prisoners are seldom tailored to long termers and lifers, and we know little about effective interventions, or even how to measure effectiveness, for this population. By drawing on the relevant empirical research, this article underlines the importance of reorienting some research efforts and policy priorities toward individuals serving life or otherwise long prison sentences. Policy ImplicationsDuring the last 20 years, the prevalence of life sentences has increased substantially in the United States. We argue that there are various benefits to developing policies that consider the challenges and issues affecting long termers and lifers. In addition to the ethical and human rights concerns associated with the treatment of this population, there are several pragmatic justifications for this argument. Long termers and lifers spend a substantial number of years in prison, but most are eventually released. These individuals can play a key role in shaping the prison community and potentially could contribute to the development of a healthier prison climate. Investment in the well-being of individuals serving long sentences may also have diffused benefits that can

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Conducting Prison Research in a Foreign Setting

Cited by 4 publications

References 27 publications

French Prisoners Cast their Vote in the 2019 European Elections: An ad hoc Analysis of their Electoral Choices and Political Attitudes

French Prisoners Cast their Vote in the 2019 European Elections: An ad hoc Analysis of their Electoral Choices and Political Attitudes

Doing Qualitative Research in a Controlled Site: Challenges, Lessons, and Strategies

Imperative for Inclusion of Long Termers and Lifers in Research and Policy

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