What additional protections exist for prisoner participants under TCPS 2?

• A. Heightened scrutiny due to coercive setting; consent must be voluntary and free from undue influence; in-prison research is carefully limited.
• B. Prisoner participation is prohibited.
• C. Prisoners must be paid more than other participants.
• D. Prisoners can be enrolled without consent.

Answer: (A)

Prison settings raise unique ethical concerns because the environment can pressure people to participate in research. Under TCPS 2, this leads to additional protections: research involving prisoners is subject to heightened scrutiny to make sure the study design minimizes risk and avoids exploiting the power imbalance between researchers and incarcerated individuals. Informed consent must be truly voluntary and free from undue influence or coercion, recognizing that incentives, threats, or any prison-related pressures could sway participation. Because of these risks, in-prison research is carefully limited to ensure it serves an appropriate purpose, minimizes harm, and respects the autonomy of participants.

Prisoner participation is not prohibited, and consent cannot be waived or ignored, and there’s no requirement that prisoners be paid more than others; rather, protections focus on voluntary participation and careful, restricted conduct of research within custodial settings.