When using prisoners as subjects, only the following types of research are allowable:

• Study of possible causes, effects, or processes of incarceration or of criminal behavior
• Study of prisons as institutional structures or of prisoners as incarcerated persons
• Study of conditions particularly affecting prisoners as a class, including research on relevant social and psychological problems such as alcoholism, drug addiction, and sexual assault
• Study of practices, both innovative and accepted, which have the intent and reasonable probability of improving the health or well-being of the prisoner subjects

In all cases, the research is to present no more than minimal risk and inconvenience to subjects. For research in the last two categories, consultation with the CPHS/IRB is necessary to determine possible need for approval by experts in penology medicine and ethics. Any proposed biomedical research requires consultation with the CPHS/IRB.