Lessons Learned: Barriers and Solutions for Conducting Reading Investigations in Juvenile Corrections Settings

Obstacles to Research in Residential Juvenile Justice Facilities: Recommendations for Researchers

“…Coordinating and working with staff have been reported as major obstacles in many studies (e.g., McCann et al, 2007), but the relationships among staff within the facilities and the amount of influence that different staff members have on research projects vary tremendously from site to site. Studies have described conflicting attitudes of administrators and direct care staff (Blake, 2004); inconsistent support from administration and negative attitudes from youth correction officers, which interfered with study logistics (Drakeford, 2002); and serious consequences associated with inadequate security support from staff (i.e., termination of the study at one of the data collection sites, Mulcahy et al, 2008). Mulvey, Schubert, and Odgers (2010) recently studied the organizational functioning of juvenile justice facilities, and they found that the environmental characteristics impacted the detained youths.…”

“…Mulcahy et al (2008) reported that participants' lengths of stay significantly impacted their sample size and ability to randomly assign participants to experimental groups. In addition to reducing sample size and completion rates, policy-based attrition may systematically bias data.…”

“…Research questions often target specific populations (e.g., female juvenile offenders, male sex offenders), which limits the number of appropriate sites and increases the difficulty in securing sites with residents that meet inclusion and exclusion criteria. Logistically, even when appropriate research sites can be identified, such sites typically need to be within reasonable travel distances for the researchers (Mulcahy et al, 2008). In sum, restrictions on the availability and accessibility of data collection sites due to location, size, or facility characteristics can impact a research study by limiting sampling options.…”

“…During a treatment outcome study, researchers reported difficulty obtaining approval for a behavioral reinforcement system, which interfered with the ability to provide tangible reinforcements, a key component of the treatment program (Mulcahy et al, 2008). During the course of a study, existing procedures and materials may need to be revised (Goldstein et al, 2007); with each adjustment, time-consuming IRB and juvenile justice agency reviews may be required, further taxing the flexibility of the researcher's protocol.…”

Reading and writing disabilities among inmates in correctional settings. A Swedish perspective

“…investigations with the purpose of studying the effect of intervention methods for reading and writing disabilities. One reason for the poor number of published investigations on this issue, particularly in juvenile institutions, might be due to methodological difficulties (Mulcahy, Krezmien, Leone, Houchins, & Baltodano, 2008). Furthermore, the conditions that exist among juvenile institutions are bound by the laws valid in a specific country regarding young offenders.…”