Interviews with men convicted of rape: reflections and lessons of a female researcher in a male Delhi prison

Research involving prisoners is a vital source of information on crime but is often fraught with several challenges. This article presents an analysis of one of the first prison researches conducted in India with men convicted of rape. It examines and expands on the nuances of interacting with men convicted of rape and exploring a range of deeply personal questions with them. The research analysis attempts to highlight the impact of the researcher’s positionality on offender accounts by also discussing social proximity and gender. This article contributes to the broader discourse around conducting qualitative research in prisons.