Following the previous question, you have suggested that obtaining free and informed consent from inmates in prison is a major challenge for my evaluation. I wonder if you could give me more practical advice?

Not at all.

Thank you for the information.

Various measures could be put in place to ensure the “free and informed” nature of the consent obtained: these including a lengthy and detailed consent form that used clear and understandable language to explain the project and what it involved, detailed explanations of the nature of the hazards and possible benefits of participation, frequent reminders of the independence of the research team, validation that participants understood what is being asked, and provision of explanatory documents. Some ethics committees go even further. For example, the Columbia University Institutional Review Board requires that the draft protocol be reviewed by the lawyers of inmate participants. Other committees include prisoners among their members.