RESEARCH INVOLVING PRISONERS - REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

• NCJ Number: 46688
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 78 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: National Cmssn for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research
• Sale Source: National Technical Information Service; National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: SEE RESEARCH INVOLVING PRISONERS - APPENDIX TO REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS - NCJ-46689

Annotation

A STUDY OF PHILOSOPHICAL, ETHICAL, SOCIOLOGICAL, AND LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS INVOLVED IN THE USE OF PRISONERS AS SUBJECTS IN BIOMEDICAL AND BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH IS PRESENTED, ALONG WITH CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.

Abstract

IN GENERAL, RESEARCH INVOLVING THE USE OF PRISONERS IS BIOMEDICAL OR BEHAVIORAL AND MAY OR MAY NOT BE RELATED TO IMPROVEMENT OF THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF THE SUBJECT. ALTHOUGH 21 STATES PERMIT BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND 23 STATES PERMIT BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH, SUCH STUDIES ARE ACTUALLY BEING CONDUCTED IN THE STATE PRISONS OF ONLY SEVEN AND FIVE STATES, RESPECTIVELY. EXAMPLES OF BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH INCLUDE BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION TECHNIQUES AND SOCIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING. BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH GENERALLY INVOLVES THE INVESTIGATION OF PHARMACEUTICALS. SITE VISITS TO PRISON DRUG TESTING, THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY, AND TOKEN ECONOMY RESEARCH PROGRAMS INDICATED THAT PRISONERS' ATTITUDES TOWARD THE PROGRAMS RANGED FROM ENTHUSIASTIC ACCEPTANCE TO INDIFFERENCE OR GRUDGING ACCEPTANCE. FINANCIAL BENEFITS AND ADDITIONAL PRISON PRIVILEGES APPEAR TO BE THE MAJOR FACTORS MOTIVATING INMATE PARTICIPATION IN RESEARCH PROGRAMS. IN GENERAL, RESEARCH PARTICIPATION WAS FELT TO BE VOLUNTARY, AND INMATES DID NOT FEEL COERCED INTO PARTICIPATING. SUMMARIES OF PAPERS DEALING WITH THE ETHICS OF BIOMEDICAL AND BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH UTILIZING INMATES FROM THE NATIONAL MINORITY CONFERENCE ON HUMAN EXPERIMENTATION ARE PRESENTED. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS PREPARED FOR THE STUDY CONCERNING PHILOSOPHICAL, SOCIOLOGICAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND LEGAL PERSPECTIVES OF INMATE EXPERIMENTATION ARE ALSO PRESENTED. FINALLY PRISONER RESEARCH PROGRAMS CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES, AND OTHER CONCERNS ARE EXAMINED. ON THE BASIS OF THE STUDY'S FINDINGS, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT CONDITIONS WITHIN PRISONS ARE NOT CONDUCIVE TO A SUFFICIENTLY HIGH DEGREE OF OPENNESS AND VOLUNTARINESS, AND THAT GREAT POTENTIAL FOR THE ABUSE OF AUTHORITY EXISTS. RECOMMENDATIONS TO ALLEVIATE THIS PROBLEM INCLUDE: (1) STUDIES OF PRISON STRUCTURE OR INCARCERATION EFFECTS ARE PERMISSIBLE AS LONG AS THEY INVOLVE LITTLE OR NO RISK OR SUBJECT INCONVENIENCE; (2) RESEARCH ON INNOVATIVE OR ACCEPTED PRACTICES DESIGNED TO IMPROVE PRISONER HEALTH OR WELL-BEING ARE PERMISSIBLE; (3) RESEARCH FOR PURPOSES OTHER THAN PRISONER WELFARE IS UNACCEPTABLE UNLESS IT FULFILLS AN IMPORTANT SOCIAL OR SCIENTIFIC NEED, SATISFIES CERTAIN CONDITIONS OF EQUITY, AND INSURES A HIGH DEGREE OF OPENNESS AND VOLUNTARINESS AND ADEQUATE SAFEGUARDS; (4) THE COMPETENCE OF INVESTIGATORS AND THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH SHOULD BE EXAMINED BY THE APPLICABLE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OR AGENCY AND BY A MULTIRACIAL/CULTURAL CITIZEN ADVOCACY AND REVIEW BOARD; AND (5) IN THE ABSENCE OF CERTIFICATION THAT PROPOSED STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS ARE BEING MET, EXISTING RESEARCH PROGRAMS SHOULD BE PERMITTED TO CONTINUE FOR NO LONGER THAN 1 YEAR. (JAP)