Establishing a large, mixed-methods cohort of ex-prisoners in Australia: Lessons learned and opportunities

• In Event: Contributions of Longitudinal Studies on Understanding the Process of Desistance: Lessons from 4 Studies

Abstract

Most studies of ex-prisoners fall into one of three categories: (1) studies of the incidence and predictors of recidivism, (2) studies of the incidence and predictors of mortality, and (3) cross-sectional, survey-based studies, usually based on small and/or convenience samples. As such, despite the very large number of individuals returning from custody to community each year (>11 million per annum in the US alone), and increasing evidence of the pivotal role of post-release experiences in shaping morbidity, mortality and reoffending outcomes, the health and social experiences of ex-prisoners remain poorly understood. Well-powered longitudinal studies are essential to answering these questions but are expensive and difficult to conduct with ex-prisoners. Internationally, few such studies have been undertaken. Data linkage circumvents some of these problems but presents its own ethical and methodological challenges. Large cohort studies of ex-prisoners, combining interview data and data linkage, are possible and provide unique opportunities to examine and understand health and justice outcomes for these highly marginalised individuals. This presentation describes the process of establishing a large, representative cohort of ex-prisoners in Australia, provides an overview of the study design and measures, and uses some preliminary findings to illustrate the unique advantages of this research design.

Authors

• Stuart A. Kinner, University of Melbourne

• David Preen, University of Western Australia

• Nicholas Lennox, University of Queensland

• Tony Butler, University of New South Wales