Iterative public records requests: a tool for obtaining multi-jurisdictional data on deaths in prison

Abstract Background Transparent and accessible data are essential for understanding institutional conditions and health outcomes, especially mortality, within correctional systems. Yet researchers seeking to study prisons encounter substantial barriers in accessing administrative records. Although public records requests have become an increasingly important research tool for anyone investigating or studying prisons, more strategic guidance is necessary to support researchers in navigating the practical challenges associated with public records requests to prisons, especially for researchers seeking to obtain comparable records across institutions and jurisdictions. This study examines public records requests as a research method through a four-year effort to collect prison mortality and population data from all 50 state departments of corrections and the federal Bureau of Prisons. Drawing on four waves of iterative public records requests submitted between 2021 and 2025 and seeking information on institution-level deaths in custody and population counts (by demographic characteristics), we ask what barriers exist in obtaining public records from prisons in multiple jurisdictions and identify strategies for addressing these barriers. Results Through analysis of records acquisition efforts, including agency correspondence and disclosure outcomes, we developed an iterative records requesting process responding to substantial variation and inconsistencies in disclosure practices both within and across jurisdictions. We identify three recurring, collaborative strategies that improved data access: mitigating resistance through clarification and appeals, persistent repetition and follow-up, and leveraging local institutional knowledge through relationships with agency personnel and other stakeholders. These findings suggest that access to public records is shaped not only by statutory requirements but also by administrative discretion, institutional culture, and ongoing interactions between requesters and agencies. Conclusion This study contributes to methodological scholarship by presenting iterative public records requests as a distinct approach for studying opaque criminal legal institutions. Beyond generating data, public records requests provide insight into how institutions organize, manage, and disclose information about their operations. The findings offer practical guidance for researchers seeking administrative data while highlighting broader implications for prison health research, transparency, and accountability. Improving access to correctional data is critical for advancing evidence-based research on mortality, health disparities, aging, suicide, infectious disease, and conditions of confinement among incarcerated populations.