Prison Psychology

Getting Started

Begin your research by brainstorming keywords - the words and phrases you’ll use to search for books, articles, websites, government documents, and other resources. These may include names of people and places or historical concepts like eras and movements. A librarian can suggest “subject headings” to find the most relevant resources.

Example Keywords & Catalog Subject Headings

"MENTAL health of prisoners services"
Recidivism

Database/Online Resources

Library databases are online collections of information, organized for research. Databases contain articles, eBooks, images, maps, primary sources and more. If you don’t have a library card, register online for immediate access to these resources. The following recommended databases are available on our Research and Teen Social Studies pages.

Academic OneFile (Gale)

Access full-text scholarly journal articles written by experts in their field, plus podcasts, videos, and transcripts from United States (U.S.) and international news sources. Subjects include biology, chemistry, criminal justice, economics, environmental science, history, marketing, political science, psychology, science, and technology.

Available with library card

Internet Sources

Before using information you find on the internet for assignments and research, it is important to establish that the information comes from a reliable and appropriate source. The following websites, from government, academic and nonprofit organizations, have been evaluated for authority, accuracy, content and currency.

Blog post from the the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), part of the DOJ. Probably don't want to cite this, as it's not academic, but it gives some good links to what the DOJ tracks.

Contact the Reference Services department for help with your research project