Doing [reporting on prisons] is like looking through a keyhole: it is very difficult to get reliable information about what is going on inside a corrections facility (Schwirtz, 2015)

Marion will be discussing her research methods exploring how life imprisonment with no possibility of parole, the alternative to the death penalty, had become normalized, using California as a case study. She received over 300 letters written from men and women serving life with no parole across the state. The adventures, thrills, demands and frustrations of her research will be outlined. She will highlight how research rarely goes to plan and how researchers are required to adapt their approach by adopting an array of research tools; being creative when using them; and more generally, remaining flexible and adjustable because the original methodological frame is likely to change due to unexpected events and realities. During this interactive workshop she will discuss the pros and cons of doing research using prisoners’ letters, and will touch upon the emotions this form of data may provoke.

This seminar is presented by Dr Marion Vannier, School of Law, University of Manchester