Barriers to and Strategies for Gaining Entry to Correctional Settings for Health Research

Conducting research in corrections can contribute to improved individual and public health. Challenges to gaining entry to correctional settings to conduct research can impede research productivity, delay the launch of studies and inhibit researchers from proposing health research in corrections. The purpose of this paper is to share lessons learned from a large-scale corrections research project designed to develop computer-based learning modules to train front-line corrections personnel about geriatric and end-of-life care. Key lessons learned include the importance of building a team of experts, planning and punting, coordinating with institutional review boards and examining denied applications to inform future planning. To be effective in a correctional setting, leaders in nursing research and corrections nursing must work together within the contextual nature of prisons and jails to advance evidence-based practices for this vulnerable population. These lessons serve to establish best practices on how to access correctional settings and to enable more research in corrections.