Using Standardized Surveys in Cross-National Comparisons: Applications to Prison Research

• In Event: Cross-National Studies on Criminal Justice

Abstract

The experience of imprisonment and its challenges, pains, and long-term impact has rarely been the subject of cross-national comparison. Liebling’s (2004) “Measuring the Quality of Prison Life” (MQPL) methodology offers a mixed-methods measure of the perception of the quality of prison life. The questionnaire has been implemented in correctional facilities in England, Chile, Spain, Germany, Indonesia, and more. A French version was adapted and administered by Kazemian (2020) as part of a longitudinal study of long-term prisoners in France. This paper compares the reliability of various MQPL dimensions across different cultural contexts. It offers reflections on why some constructs achieve higher reliability than others. The paper also addresses the issue of cross-cultural comparability of surveys in the prison context, invoking the importance of translation, equivalence, bias, and analysis, and the significance of deep reflection and adaptation when choosing to apply an instrument to a different cultural context.

Authors

• May Rose Pascaud, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY

• Lila Kazemian, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY