The Challenges of Prison Research in South Asia: A Case Study in India and Sri Lanka

• In Event: Qualitative Innovations: From Theory to Practice

Abstract

The majority of the existing prison research provides us with an understanding of carceral experiences in the global north. Findings from these studies are not easily generalizable and provide us with a limited understanding of non-western contexts. Challenges that arise while conducting prison research also tend to be context specific. This paper focuses on the challenges of conducting prison research in South Asia. I draw from a project exploring pathways to incarceration among Indian and Sri Lankan women, using life event calendars and qualitative interviews. Criminological research is nascent in both countries, which configures the challenges of conducting prison research in these settings in particular ways. In this presentation, I focus on negotiating entrée, adapting the data collection tool to a local context and evaluating different modes of data collection.

Author

• Ntasha Bhardwaj, Rutgers University