Resource: Documenting Detention: Records of Segregation in Two U.S. Prisons

The following research explores the extent to which American prisons demonstrate accountability through record keeping for instances of inmate segregation. Segregation is a broad prison management tool that correctional facility administrators deploy to maintain safety and order within a prison. But the application of this management tool has consistently raised legal and ethical questions about its constitutionality. The ensuing legal battles often consult various sources of evidence, with records serving as particularly significant due to their perceived neutrality and objectivity. Conducted during the course of a master’s thesis, this study investigates two prisons’ segregation practices to provide a systematic inquiry into the intersection of record keeping and accountability. After surveying the relevant literature, the researcher describes his use of a holistic multiple-case studies design to conduct several on site, semi-structured interviews at the Indiana State Prison and the Mississippi State Penitentiary. The research seeks to assess the availability, accessibility, and authenticity of segregation records and highlight the factors that impact them. The research contributes to archival and information science conversations on accountability, records management, and the public interest.