Prison Psychology: Challenge/Disclosures

Much of the growth in forensic psychology over the last few decades is owed to research. General research requires ethical codes and guidelines to follow when working with human subjects. Conducting research in forensic psychology requires a more specific set of guidelines to follow. In particular, working with incarcerated populations to conduct research requires more restrictive parameters to avoid ethical and legal violations. The basis for most ethical codes and guidelines is rooted in historical cases where conducting research resulted in participants being placed in harm's way. The Nazi experiments in concentration camps and the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment are examples of cases where individuals were injured in the name of "science." Modern day researchers learned from those examples and others to adopt and follow ethical codes and guidelines to insure the safety of human subjects. Conducting research with forensic populations brings a set of unique ethical challenges, especially when working with populations that may be viewed as marginal by society. Therefore, it is beneficial to you as a student studying forensic psychology to understand unique ethical challenges that may arise when working with incarcerated forensic populations.

description of the challenge you selected. Explain which codes/guidelines may be violated and how the violations may occur. Explain the consequences that might arise as a result of the violation. Finally, share your thoughts and insights about challenges related to conducting research with incarcerated individuals.