Corrections_Today_May_June_2023_Vol.85_No.3

■ RESEARCH

Second, the rest of society needs to hear the voices of those that are marginalized, forgotten, and ignored. It is not all about the numbers, they do not necessarily tell the whole story. The prisoners and their families have voices and they deserve to be heard. Qualitative research is an ex cellent way to examine their needs and the problems they face. Academic and trade journals should be more accept ing of qualitative research methods and reporting. Some journals specifically state that they do not accept qualita tive studies. Why is that? We can learn a great deal from scientifically developed inquiries that focus on multiple phenomena from the perspectives of this demographic. Specifically, crime, correctional, and related journals need to set aside the favor they show quantitative studies and be open to qualitative research and manuscripts. Journal Edi tors, allow qualitative researchers to report on the voices and stories of the very people and programs quantitative researchers report on while conducting their research. ENDNOTES 1 Roberson, K. & Hinkle, D. “Family literacy reading program for incarcerated fathers: An early exploration of the qualitative data.” Conclave: Phi Upsilon Omicron: National Honor Society in Family and Consumer Sciences, 07 October 2022, Columbus, OH. 2 Naser, R. L., & La Vigne, N. G. “Family support in the prisoner reentry process: Expectations and realities.” Journal of Offender Rehabilitation , vol. 43, no. 1, 2006. Pp. 93-106. 3 Fiester, L. “Early warning confirmed: A research update on third-grade reading.” The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 07 Sep. 2013, https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/features/research-briefs. Accessed 4 Apr. 2022. 4 James, N. “The First Step Act of 2018: An overview.” Congressional Research Service. R45558. https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R45558. Accessed 10 Oct. 2022.

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graduate and to have encounters with the justice system. 3 Data as expressed above should be highlighted more in criminal justice journals to show the humanistic side of research that promotes developing human connections as a tool to reduce crime, lower recidivism, and break instances of intergenerational criminal behavior. Access and reach are critical takeaways This article is a call to action on two fronts. First and foremost, researchers that want to work directly with of fenders within prisons need access. The First Step Act of 2018 highlighted the expectation of The Second Chance Reauthorization Act which “requires wardens of prisons … to enter into recidivism-reducing partnerships … to de liver recidivism reduction programming.” 4 Entering into a partnership, as I did with the SDSP, not only provided programming but was based on previous research that evidenced positive outcomes for both the prisoner and their children. This was a win-win for all stakeholders, regardless of the finding from the research questions of this study. Wardens, be open to allowing research within your prisons. The IRBs ensure that human subjects are protected, and most researchers are looking to help with the needs of the people or programs they are studying. This engaged scholarship is a positive partnership.

Kyle L. Roberson, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Family and Consumer Sciences Education Program at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Dr. Roberson was formally the supervisor of education in a federal prison. He retired from that position in 2020. Dylan Hinkle, M.S., is a doctoral student in the Family and Consumer Sciences Education Program, and served as a research assistant to Dr. Roberson during the ’21-’22 academic year at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.

42 — May/June 2023 Corrections Today