UW Research
GUIDANCE Prisoners
This guidance leads researchers, the IRB, and HSD staff through the significant complexity of conducting research involving prisoners. This includes a multi-faceted definition of “prisoner”, as well as the considerable variability in applicable regulations and requirements across different external research funding sources. In addition, several HSD policies about prisoner research are described. This guidance applies to research involving individuals who are prisoners at the time of enrollment in the research as well as individuals who become prisoners after they are enrolled in research.