Correctional Research in Theory and Praxis: Political and Operational Hindrances

This article explores a growing paradoxical aspect of research in U.S. correctional systems: On the one hand, the need to know what is being done and "what works" inside our prisons, which now command an annual outlay of $20 billion; conversely, there is the apparent cloak of secrecy surrounding these closed, "total institutions" (using Goffman's definition). The article discusses the tremendous need for cooperation between correctional practitioners and researchers, especially in light of the widespread notion spawned in the mid-1970s that "nothing works" inside prisons to change inmates. Primary differences between the methods, goals, and personalities of practitioners and researchers are discussed; and the Supreme Court's removal of the 'iron curtain' between prisons and society, Wolff v. McDonnell (1974), is examined in relation to research.

For future correctional researchers, several political and operational problems actually encountered in a recent national survey of prisons are outlined. This case study provides considerable insight regarding the extent of difficulty and even paranoia the prison researcher should expect to encounter, as much or more on the part of the central office (state department of corrections) staff as with grass roots employees.