NCJ Number
61597
Date Published
Unknown
Length
17 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT DISCUSSES HOW A STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE NEEDS OF LONG-TERM PRISONERS IN VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.
Abstract
OVERALL, 30 PRISONERS WERE INTERVIEWED AT TWO PRISONS; EACH INTERVIEW TOOK ABOUT 3 HOURS, WITH A TOTAL INTERVIEW TIME OF 14 DAYS. TWO INTERVIEWERS CONDUCTED EACH INTERVIEW FOR EFFICIENCY IN QUESTIONING AND RECORDING AND SUSTAINING PRISONER INTEREST. RAPPORT WITH PRISONERS WAS NOT SACRIFICED TO TIME CONSTRAINTS. THE PRISONS DIVISION, PRISON STAFFS, AND PRISONERS WERE COOPERATIVE, AS RESEARCHERS RESPECTED ORGANIZATIONAL RESTRAINTS IN PRISONS, SUCH AS PRISON ROUTINES, WORK TIME, AND SECURITY MOVEMENT RESTRICTIONS. THE SUCCESS OF INITIAL INTERVIEWS AT EACH PRISON DETERMINED THE SUCCESS OF ALL OTHERS, AND RESPECT FOR INMATE SOCIAL STRUCTURES 7ONTRIBUTED TO FRUITFUL INTERVIEWS. CONSIDERABLE CANDOR AND COURTESY WERE NECESSARY TO DISPEL PRISONERS' DISTRUST OF OUTSIDERS, AND THE LATTER WERE MOST SKEPTICAL OF WHAT GOOD THE STUDY COULD DO THEM. RESEARCHERS RESPONDED TO THIS SKEPTICISM BY UNDERSCORING PRISONERS' RIGHT TO BE HEARD AND RESEARCHERS' DIRECT ACCESS TO THE PRISON DIVISION. RAPPORT WITH EACH PRISONER WAS SOUGHT, AND A BALANCE BETWEEN INTERVIEWER GUIDANCE AND PRISONERS' FREEDOM TO TALK WAS DEEMED IMPORTANT. VARIOUS PRISONER INTERVIEW PROBLEMS ARE DISCUSSED, AND ADVICE IS GIVEN ABOUT HOW TO RECORD DATA. OTHER TOPICS INCLUDE THE NECESSARY QUALITIES OF INTERVIEWERS, THE MOST COMMON CONCERNS OF PRISONERS, THE EFFECTS ON PRISONERS OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF PRISONS, AND THE VALUE OF PRISONERS' OPINIONS AND INFORMATION. HOWEVER, IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION OF THE STUDY'S FINDINGS IS NOT INCLUDED. (PAP)