Institute of Medicine Recommendations:
Institute of Medicine Recommendations:
In 2006, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) commissioned the Institute of Medicine to re-assess the government regulations on prison research. Here were their recommendations: 1. Expanded oversight of prisoner experimentation a. Their reasoning for greater oversight does not indicate their desire for an increased participation of prisoners in research, but the belief that increased participation should stem from a review conducted by the expanded oversight. 2. Replacement of categorical approach with a case-by-case analysis a. Having this perspective would prompt researchers to individualize cases and analyze particular ethical issues for each experiment, allowing them to provide greater protection for prisoners. 3. Expand the definition of “prisoner” a. Under the Title 45, regulations only apply to people in prisons or jails. However, the Committee recommends that this should be expanded to incorporate the people who are in non-traditional correctional settlings, like drug treatment facilities, on parole, or on probation. These individuals may also be susceptible to prison research, therefore protecting them is essential. 4. Ensure a universal, consistent ethical protection a. Create a framework that provides a universal protection for all ethical principles regardless of the context. 5. Include more collaborative ventures between researchers and prisoners in the ethical framework a. Create more collaborative opportunities for greater interaction between researchers and prisoners so as to ensure that both parties value the regulations on prisons. |