Interviewing in Prison: Understanding the Impact of Imprisonment

Abstract

My PhD project explored the impact of imprisonment and the psychological adjustment of prisoners. I conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 male and 15 female prisoners in one prison in England and Wales. I also asked the same group of participants to fill out questionnaires. This combination of different methods makes it a mixed-methods study, but due to the limitations of the quantitative data, I relied more heavily on the qualitative data in the analysis. This case describes the practicalities involved in setting up and conducting the research, as well as ethical considerations, and the emotional impact of doing research. I show that a good theoretical grasp of relevant issues (such as getting access, interviewing and ethical considerations) does not always prepare a researcher well for the practical realities.

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