UA Pruno Brewing and Botulism in Prisons Case Study

Walters et al. (2015) studied the link between inmates producing illicit alcoholic beverages, called pruno, and botulism outbreaks in U.S. prisons.  Following one outbreak, the researchers conducted a qualitative study at a U.S. prison in Utah.  They interviewed 27 inmates and 13 staff about the process of pruno brewing and its importance to the social environment in prisons.  Inmates who had confirmed botulism infections were invited to participate.  The study found that pruno making was frequent in this prison, and suggested two recommendations: (a) improve staff recognition of pruno ingredients and supplies to better detect (and stop) brewing activities, and (2) communicate consistent consequences and clear messages with inmates about the link between pruno and botulism.

Using the same case study above (pruno and botulism): Identify 2 potential threats to validity and explain, for each threat, why you think it is a concern for this study?