WHAT WAS THIS STUDY ABOUT?
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The researcher sought to learn what participants think about ex-offender reintegration. The researcher also wanted to evaluate how formerly incarcerated individuals perceive their reintegration experience.
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WHO WOULD QUALIFY TO VOLUNTEER TO BE IN THE STUDY?
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To qualify to volunteer for this study, and individual has to meet all of the following criteria. If you do not meet the description above, you are not able to be in the study.:
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You must be between the ages of 35 and 76
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You must be a former inmate in a United States jail or prison
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Your most recent release date was on or prior to January 1, 2009
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You must not be required to report to a Sex Offender Registry (sometimes referred to as
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You must not have been incarcerated after January 1, 2009
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You must live in the United States.
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You Do Not Qualify for the Study if:
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Your most recent release date occurred after January 1, 2009;
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You are currently under court supervision including probation, parole, or monitoring as a condition of parole;
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Your most recent incarceration was for a juvenile offense;
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You are a parolees who is detained in a treatment center as a condition of parole or if you are a prisoner;
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You are required to report to a Sex Offender Registry (Sometimes referred to as Megan's Law)
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You are detained in a residential facility for court-ordered substance abuse treatment as a form of sentencing or alternative to incarceration as a prisoner.
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You are age 36 years old or under;
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You are age 76 years old or older;
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You are currently under the care of a mental health professional including a therapist, psychiatrist, or psychologist;
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You are incarcerated’
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You are experiencing diminished capacity;
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You are mentally or physically challenged;
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You were incarcerated in any country other than the United States.
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You are currently residing outside of the United States.
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HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE IN THIS STUDY?
About 15 to 20 participants will be in this study.
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WHO IS PAYING FOR THE STUDY?
The researcher is not receiving funds to conduct this study.
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WILL IT COST ANYTHING TO BE IN THIS STUDY?
Participants were not required to pay to be in the study.
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HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY?
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Participation in this study averaged about 2-hours and 15-minutes, including the time it took for the online survey.
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WHAT HAPPENED DURING THIS STUDY?
Volunteers were required to take a survey. At that time, they were also asked for their email address in order to schedule a phone interview. The interview was scheduled and then conducted by phone or SKYPE voice.
Before taking the survey, volunteers were required to read the Consent Form and contact the research with any questions. If, after reading the Consent Form the volunteer wished to take the survey, they indicate their understanding and agreement to the terms of the Informed Consent form before taking the survey. If the volunteer disagreed with the terms of the Informed Consent Form, they indicated that prior to accessing the online survey.
Qualified Volunteers who participated in the study completed the following steps:
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Complete a survey in which they were required to provide demographic background information such as age, gender, marital status, education level, employment status, prior incarcerations, zip code, education level, source of income, length of time since last release, number of incarcerations, information about juvenile offenses, and current release status.
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Answer interview questions by phone regarding: 1) their life at the time they went to prison; 2) life after release; 3) positive things in their life now, compared to before when prison; 4) advice they have for others who are coming out of prison; 5) kind of mistakes they think the prison system makes that leads people back into prison; 6) any skills, talents or abilities they have acquired since getting out of prison; 7) their current long-term goals?
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They were given the opportunity to comment on the study results.
Qualified Volunteers who participate in the study were expected to:
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Follow the instructions they were provided.
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Tell the researcher if, at any point, they wished to discontinue participation in the study
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WILL THE INTERVIEWS BE RECORDED?
The researcher audiotaped participant interviews. The researcher used the audio recording to ensure the accuracy of the notes she took during the interview.
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The researcher only used the recordings for purposes stated in the Informed Consent form. The Researcher did not use the recordings for any other reasons without participant permission. The recordings are retained for seven years and are kept confidential. The recordings will be destroyed after seven years.
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WILL BEING IN THIS STUDY HELP ME?
Being in this study did not help participants. Information from this study was reported in order to help others in the future.
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WERE THERE RISKS TO PARTICIPANTS WHO VOLUNTEERED TO PARTICIPATE IN
THIS STUDY?
No study is completely risk-free. However, we did not anticipate that any participants would be harmed or distressed during this study. Participants were advised that they could cease participation at any time during the research process.
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WILL I GET PAID?
Participants did not receive compensation for participating in the study.
WERE PARTICIPANTS REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE
IN THIS STUDY?
Participation in this study was voluntary. Participants could decide not to volunteer to participate in the study. They were allowed to change their minds at any time. There was no penalty for discontinued participation.
The researcher could remove a participant from the study at any time. This could happen if:
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The researcher determined it is best for a participant to discontinue participation in the study.
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The participant did not follow directions about the study.
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The participant no longer met the inclusion criteria to participate.
WHO USED, AND WITH WHOM WAS SHARED, INFORMATION ABOUT
PARTICIPANTS IN THIS STUDY?
Any information you provide in this study that could identify you; such as your name, age, or other personal information will be kept confidential. In any written reports or publications, no one will be able to identify you. The researcher will keep the information you provide in a PASSWORD PROTECTED COMPUTER AND/OR A LOCKED FILE CABINET in GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN and only the researcher, researcher’s supervisor, and dissertation committee will have access to the study data. Additionally, Capella University’s Internal Review Board (IRB), the Research Compliance Committee (RCC), or its designee(s) may review your research records.
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Capella University’s IRB, the Research Compliance Committee (RCC), or its designees may review your research records.
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The audio recordings made during your interview will be used by the researcher. Capella University’s IRB, the Research Compliance Committee (RCC), or its designees may review your research records.
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Even if a participant left the study early, the researcher could still use participants' data consistent with the study's purpose and procedures.
LIMITS OF PRIVACY (CONFIDENTIALITY)
Generally speaking, the researcher can assure the participant that the researcher will keep private everything the participant tells the research and applicable collected data. Yet there are times where the researcher cannot keep things private (confidential). The researcher cannot keep things private (confidential) when:
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The researcher learns that a child or vulnerable adult has been abused
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The researcher learns that a person plans to hurt themselves, such as committing suicide.
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The researcher learns that a person plans to hurt someone else
There are laws that require many professionals to take action if they think a person might harm themselves or another, or if a child or adult is being abused. In addition, there are guidelines that researchers must follow to make sure all people are treated with respect and kept safe. In most states, there is a government agency that must be told if someone is being abused or plans to hurt themselves or another person. Please ask any questions you may have about this issue before agreeing to be in the study. It is important that you do not feel betrayed if it turns out that the researcher cannot keep some things private.
WITH WHOM COULD THE PARTICIPANTS TALK
ABOUT THIS STUDY?
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Participants could, at any time, ask questions, raise concerns, or file complaints about the study by calling the researcher. All pertinent contact information was stated in the Informed Consent disclosure. Participants could call the researcher at the phone number listed on page 1 of the form. Other questions that could be raised by participants included concerns regarding study procedures, study costs (if any), study payment (if any), or if the participant was injured or got sick during the study. Capella University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) was established to protect the rights and welfare of human research participants. Participants were instructed to contact IRB at 1-888-227-3552, extension 6313, for any of the following reasons:
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They had questions about their rights as a research participant.
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They wished to discuss problems or concerns.
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They had suggestions to improve the participant experience.
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They did not feel comfortable talking with the researcher.
Participants were advised that they could anonymously contact IRB.
PRIVACY AND THE ONLINE SURVEY
The online survey was administered through Survey Monkey. As such, it was also governed by the SURVEY MONKEY – PRIVACY POLICY and the SURVEY MONKEY - SECURITY STATEMENT. Participants were instructed to review these policies before continuing with the survey.
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