Encountering Correctional Populations

Book excerpt: While many studying criminology learn to examine offenders, offending, and its consequences, few actually journey into the physical world of prisons to meet offenders face-to-face. Created specifically for criminology students and equally useful for current researchers and practitioners, this book serves as a step-by-step toolkit on how to humanely conduct research with populations in the correctional system. The authors’ combined 60+ years of experience allows them to provide field-tested practical advice for researching youth and adults on probation, on parole, or incarceration. The book guides readers through practical concerns, such as gaining access and building rapport with offenders and those who monitor them; the types of correctional data that can be collected; informed consent process and research ethics; and the logistics of doing research. Through personal stories, “what if” scenarios, and case studies, as well as examples of real-world tools like checklists and sample forms, the authors share methods of how to overcome the obstacles that criminologists must face as they learn to work with those behind bars.