ABSTRACT
Evaluative research in correctional institutions (prison, jail, juvenile detention) is both challenging and rewarding work. Yet, narrow questions and structural boundaries often impair or restrict this type of research in ways that hinder the advancement of knowledge and the creation of research of consequence. This chapter considers three primary barriers researchers face when conducting institutional research: (1) access, (2) establishing and maintaining collaborative and engaged research-practitioner partnerships, and (3) institutional protocols. It also provides suggestions for a pathway through these restrictions to yield a deeper, more nuanced dataset for richer, more compelling theoretical implications and enhanced policy and practice recommendations.
