Hello!
Are you now or have you ever been geographically separated from a loved one due to incarceration (either you were incarcerated, or they were)? Geographically separated means that it was difficult or impossible for you or someone to visit the prison and return home in one day.
If you answered "yes", I would like to invite you to participate in a voluntary research study about the experiences of family who have been geographically separated due to incarceration. This IRB approved study is being conducted by Dr. Christopher P. Dum through the Department of Sociology and Criminology at Kent State University. Participation includes taking an online survey and participating in an interview about your experiences.
All participants must be 18 years of age or older and all participation is completely voluntary. Furthermore, whether or not you participate in this study will have no impact on anyone’s sentence, parole, or supervision decisions.
If you are interested in participating, please email me at prisondistancestudy@gmail.com or call 330-422-3887.
For questions about the study, you may also contact the Kent State University Institutional Review Board at 330-672-2704.
I appreciate your time and consideration in participating in our research. It is only with your help that we can better understand how incarceration affects families.
Sincerely,
Christopher P. Dum, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Associate Professor
Department of Sociology and Criminology
Kent State University