http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3 http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods-3-2.xsd
using cross-national research to navigate the issues of a cross-atlantic study
One prison is experimental and has been open for 10 years; the other has been open for 110 years and is being shut down as a result of a series of rapes, attacks, and other abuses. The experimental prison is located in rural Belgium, and the other is located in rural New Jersey. Both prisons house women, but the Belgian prison houses them in a prison with men. In 2004, a study for the New Jersey Office of Legislative Services found this sole prison for women to be woefully lacking in programs compared with men's prisons. This observational study looked at whether "mixing," or mixite, creates better circumstances for female prisoners. The proportion of women among Belgian's incarcerated population is 4.5%, whereas New Jersey's female prisoners are at a low 2%--these are comparable statistics. Some of the metrics compared are standards of cells, areas for socialization, areas for physical activities, education opportunities, and job training. Placing women within a men's facility does not seem to provide them with better opportunities and may not provide New Jersey with a model for its future female prison(s). The idea of mixing women and men in the same prison is bold. As researchers, we wanted to see whether this experiment is beneficial to women. This mixed-method study certainly offered to provide great insights for women's incarceration management, but there are many challenges to studies that span two continents.
Beth Ellen Adubato, Nicole M. Sachs Swiderski, Lola Gauthier.