Obstacles on the preparation and execution of non-structured interviews about prisons

Abstract

This article aims to evaluate what difficulties can be expected when preparing and carrying out non-structured interviews in prisons. Despite being a frequent topic in social science research, the impact of prison on individuals subjected to the prison experience is difficult to understand. For this reason, it is understood that carrying out non-structured interviews with inmates, ex-prisoners, family members and agents or managers of the prison system is of great importance for understanding the countless ways in which prison affects the lives of these people. These interactions, however, require overcoming various obstacles and challenges, which are equally diverse in nature: social, interpersonal, structural, logistical, administrative, political. The goal, then, is to understand how it is possible to mitigate or overcome these difficulties, favoring the establishment of respectful contact with interviewees who are willing to contribute, and a critical and coherent analysis of the data collected. After critical analysis and selected literature review, it is concluded that the expected difficulties, far from being an obstacle, helps in the understanding of the prison phenomenon and its impact on its subjects.