ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the methodology for the research presented in this book. This book is based on a larger qualitative research project funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology. Broadly speaking, the project, titled ‘Reentry, Recidivism and Desistance: A Longitudinal Study with Ex- and Re-prisoners’, was an exploration of the reentry process in the Portuguese penal system - an area of research that is largely non-existent in current literature. The project draws upon official documents and interviews with incarcerated individuals and prison staff at each phase of the reentry process. This book focuses on the first stage of the reentry process to examine incarcerated individuals’ experiences in prison and their expectations for after their release. This chapter reviews the methodology of the research project, discusses the ethical concerns of qualitative research, and provides a brief description of the interviewees (i.e., sociodemographic and penal characterisation). In total, 78 men and women serving time in Portuguese prisons were interviewed. These interviews were then transcribed and coded for themes relevant to the goals of the present study.
