FY 2023 Survey of Prison Inmates Research and Development

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Justice, has periodically collected information through personal interviews with people in prisons since 1974 (see Survey of Prison Inmates (SPI) at https: bjs.ojp.gov data collection survey prison inmates spi.) The purpose of this award is to provide funding for a collection agent to update and field test the existing 2016 SPI instrument for administration to inmates in a national sample of prison facilities, to explore ways to conduct virtual or hybrid (in person virtual) survey interviews, and to prepare a national implementation plan to field the next iteration of SPI at a future date. Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, facility protocols regarding visitation made it difficult to partner with correctional authorities to conduct in person inmate surveys. The work conducted through this project will explore ways to minimize the risk to survey participants and limit the burden on correctional facilities by conducting virtual or hybrid (in person virtual) survey interviews. Previously surveys for incarcerated people have used paper based survey interviews, Computer Assisted Personal Interviews (CAPI), and or Audio Computer Assisted Self interviewing (ACASI). In this project, the recipient will research the feasibility of conducting a virtual CAPI, ACASI, or other methodology, for example, through bringing tablets or laptops into prisons, or connecting through existing systems and having the respondent talk to an interviewer over a virtual messaging application. To test the feasibility of this approach the recipient would update the 2016 SPI instrument to include new domains based on stakeholder feedback, determine sampling strategies, test versions of updated questionnaires, and measure the mode effects of in person, virtual, and or hybrid data collection with various populations in different facilities. The recipient will also design and test an alternative mode of administration for use in facilities where ACASI is not feasible.