ABSTRACT
This chapter provides reflections on conducting team-driven, qualitative research at the intersection of youth justice and health. The authors present detailed information on the advantages and usefulness of qualitative methods for understanding the healthcare needs and patterns of youth justice populations as well as barriers to conducting this type of research related to gatekeepers, sampling, human subjects, parental consent, and study retention. They use a recent example of a primarily qualitative study of youth reentry and health in Los Angeles to illustrate these methodological barriers and how to handle them. The authors conclude with some key suggestions that readers can use to design and conduct qualitative studies with incarcerated and reentry youth.
