University of Alberta Prison Project

If you have been interviewed by a CCR / Prison Project researcher and you want to contact us for a follow up please call or text (587) 206-1701.

 

The University of Alberta Prison Project (UAPP) is an ongoing, multi-method study of people’s experiences with Western Canadian prisons, consisting of qualitative interviews, quantitative surveys, and ethnographic observation. The goal of the University of Alberta Prison Project is to collect base-line data on life experiences of system-involved people and criminal justice staff and use our findings for evidence-based changes.

The UAPP started in 2016 and consists of three broad studies:

Our initial study, Life Experiences Inside Western Canadian Prisons (2016–2020), explored incarcerated people and staff’s general experiences working and living inside of prison. We investigated a range of topics, including gender, gangs, drugs, race-relations, victimization, programming, radicalization, and administrative segregation.

Our second study is called Loved Ones of Incarcerated People and the COVID-19 Pandemic. We conducted longitudinal interviews with the significant others of incarcerated men to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted prison policies and life inside, among other issues.

Our current study is called Re-entry Experiences in Western Canada (2022–). Using mixed-method longitudinal interviews with people released from prison, we are studying how participants define successful re-entry and the aspects which might contribute to or hinder their success.

 

For the latest updates on the University of Alberta Prison Project, follow us on Twitter at: @theUAPP