Information and communications technology access for people in prison: strategies to maximise the benefits and minimise the harms of communication with families and program workers

Abstract

COVID-19 lockdowns accelerated the take up of video calls and other digital communication between people in prison and the outside world. This has altered relationships with families and practice within rehabilitative and reintegration services. Little work has discussed the significance of these changes or articulated a normative agenda for shaping changes in future. This article aims to identify strategies that might help reintegration services and justice system agencies maximise the benefits and minimise the harms from information communication technology (ICT) use between people in prison and their families and services. Drawing from empirical literature, practical insights from service delivery and theoretical insights from assemblage theory and carceral geography, this article proposes three strategies: design spatial, scheduling and security measures to minimise stigma and disruption;actively support ICT users to equitably access the potential of ICT systems;and develop program practices in parallel with the evolutions of the technology they employ. Each of these strategies is set out with sub-components and suggestions for further research.