Boundaries and Barriers: Navigating the Ethics of Prison-Based Research

Bushell, Ashley ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5967-2069 (2026) Boundaries and Barriers: Navigating the Ethics of Prison-Based Research. In: British Society of Criminology Conference 2026, From: Tuesday 7 July 2026, 9 am To: Friday 10 July 2026, 6 pm, Nottingham. (Submitted)

Abstract

This paper reflects on the difficulties and insights of an experienced pracademic, with lived experience of working within the Prison system within offender management. Research within prisons has expanded significantly across criminology, psychology, sociology and related disciplines. Which reflects a growing recognition of carceral settings as critical sites for understanding harm, inequality and institutional power.

Yet this expansion brings complex ethical challenges. Prisons are highly regulated, coercive environments where tradition al research assumptions, voluntariness, autonomy and confidentiality, are strained by the realities of surveillance, restricted movement, and institutional hierarchies. This paper responds to these concerns by critically examining the ethical dilemmas that arise when conducting research within carceral environments, and exploring how researchers can navigate their roles, responsibilities, and the risks with integrity and reflexivity.

Drawing on methodological interviews informed by qualitative interviews, paper interrogates the ethical terrain encountered throughout the research process. Ethical approval was secured through university procedures and additional governance frameworks required by HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and the private sector, highlight the layered oversight shaping carceral research. Researcher positionality, particularly the dynamics of power, identity, and perceived allegiance forms a central component of the analysis, shaping both access and interpretation.

Key ethical issues explored include the fragility of informed consent within carceral environments where participation may be perceived as beneficial or risky, and the emotional and psychology impact on both participants and researchers.

The paper contributes to the ongoing debates in prison research ethics, by foregrounding reflexivity, vulnerability, and institutional power. It argues for more transparent, critically engaged ethical frameworks that recognise the unique risks of carceral settings and support responsible person centred research practices.

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