Our Work
The Arizona Transformation Project engages in original research and writings designed to improve both the Inside-Out Prison Exchange program specifically and the criminal justice system more broadly:
Participatory Action Research (PAR) Project #1: Reducing Recidivism
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This participatory action research (PAR) project involved active collaboration between inside and outside ATP members to design and administer a survey on recidivism reduction to use with men who are incarcerated. The survey covered respondent experiences with and views on employment, housing, substance abuse, and reentry, as well as their proposed solutions for reducing reoffending. Outside ATP members helped in training inside members on interviewing and protecting human subjects in research. Incarcerated ATP members then conducted all interviews, surveying 409 men living at East Unit in ASPC-Florence. ATP members all worked together on data analysis and creating a final report for Arizona Governor Doug Ducey’s Recidivism Reduction Project Team. Both outside and inside ATP members also wrote peer-reviewed publications describing the project and their experience.
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Reports, articles, and presentations: ​
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Reducing Recidivism in Arizona This final report to the Governor's Recidivism Reduction Project Team includes a summary of findings, as well as recommendations proposed by respondents to address recidivism rates (Wright et al. 2017).
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“On PAR with the Yard: Participatory Action Research to Advance Knowledge in Corrections” Written by outside ATP members, this article provides an overview of PAR and more information about the reducing recidivism PAR project. This paper is part of a special issue on PAR in corrections in Corrections: Policy, Practice and Research (Haverkate et al., 2020).
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“Reimagining Prison Research from the Inside-Out” Written by inside ATP members, this article describes the process of carrying out the PAR project and the challenges and benefits of the methodology (Thrasher et al., 2019).
Media coverage:​​
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The Governor's Office referenced the finding from the report that more than half of respondents cited reliable transportation as a barrier to reentry in their news release announcing a program to provide those who were formerly incarcerated a ride to job interviews: "Arizona Partners with Uber on Second Chance Rides Program" (November 7, 2017)
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ABC 15 referenced the report in their story: “Governor Ducey introduces ‘Uber for Jobs’ pilot program” (November 8, 2017
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Cronkite News referenced the report in their story: “Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey pushes efforts to reduce recidivism” (January 5, 2018)
PAR Project #2: Enhancing the Prison Environment​
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This second PAR project focuses more on improving the prison environment. ATP members are utilizing the same approach as PAR Project #1; they collaborated to design a survey instrument and incarcerated ATP members administered this survey to men incarcerated at East Unit in Spring 2020. The surveys covers multiple topics on life in prison, including interactions with staff, dynamics with other incarcerated men, and prison programming. We will add more information and additional reports and publications following data collection and analysis.
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Reports, articles, and presentations:
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Center for Correctional Solutions students Genevieve McKenzie and Shayla Evans and ATP member Danielle Haverkate will be presenting a poster on the second PAR project at the 2020 Western Society of Criminology Annual Conference in Phoenix