Data Collection at a Women’s Prison
Client | Stanford University
How Many Women Are Incarcerated for Killing Their Abusive Partner?
Can you believe no one knows that answer to that question? Well, we are about to find out!
Rogue Scholar recently collaborated with Debbie Mukamal, a colleague from Stanford University Law School, to survey all the women incarcerated for murder or manslaughter at the larger of two female correctional facilities within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). At nearly 1,200 people, California houses one of the largest groups of people incarcerated for murder and manslaughter.
During four days of data collection at one prison, we surveyed approximately 63% of the eligible population. There were no security incidents and no instances of participants becoming overly emotional from completing the survey.
On each of the days, approximately 150-200 individuals were invited out to the visiting room where we conducted the study. Nearly 87% of participants completed the survey on electronic tablets, and approximately 13% of participants completed the survey on paper.
Read more and meet the team at the CDCR newsletter
Our Role
Rogue Scholar designed the data collection implementation plan, trained the data collectors, and participated in the data collection. Let me tell you, the only thing I love more than analyzing data is collecting it. Here’s more about our role in this phase of the project:
Design
This descriptive study involved a brief, anonymous survey given to any person (cis or transgender) convicted of murder or manslaughter housed in a California Women’s prison regardless of history of abuse.
Prior to data collection, we (mostly Debbie— she’s amazing at this and I took notes!) built relationships with pre-existing resources at the prison—including the inmate advisory board, support resources and groups, chaplains, and counseling and programming staff—who helped explain the goals of the research to the women prior to entry.
The Survey
The four-page survey took approximately 20 to 45 minutes to complete. It survey included sections on demographics, conviction history, interaction with the criminal legal system, relationship to the person who was killed, and two validated intimate partner violence screenings (the Composite Abuse Scale and the Danger Assessment) The survey (and consent) was available in Spanish for non-English speakers.
The survey went through several rounds of review with formerly incarcerated women, employees of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), and violence experts. We felt assured that the reading level and sensitive nature of the content were suitable for the participant population.
Fun fact: We worked on this survey in 2020 and it took a whole THREE YEARS before it was implemented!
About 5% of the participants needed assistance with reading and writing. In past studies, we used audio-computer assisted interviews (ACASI), where all the questions and response options have been recorded and a participant can "listen” to the questions. However, we did not pursue that option given restrictions at the facility and we were face-to-face.
Procedure
In California, our study team entered the facility to collect data directly from participants. Eligible persons were ducated (fancy word for ‘given a permission slip’) to the visitor’s room, where our team was set up. We had two rolling suitcases with hundreds of copies of consents, surveys, and 30 tablets. We were allowed with bring snacks and water for the proctors; thank goodness because we were consenting non-stop from 8:30am to 2:30pm!
First, the survey proctor read aloud a short introduction to the purpose of research study. If the participant was interested, we reviewed an Informed Consent document, which explained the inmates' rights and choice to participate or refuse to participate in the study. Participants had the option of completing the survey via electronic tablets or in paper-form. Electronic tablets had no internet, phone, or camera capabilities, and the survey was administered “offline” per prison rules. Completed consents and surveys were kept sealed in an envelope to maintain confidentiality.
Stay tuned for our results!
Looking to implement data collection for your own study? Contact us by email today. We offer flexible rates for nonprofits.
