Workshop Session
Since 2020, incarcerated people in some Australian jurisdictions were provided with digital devices to address the digital divide, decrease punitiveness associated with incarceration and alleviate the compounded isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The digital sphere could thus represent a new space that allows incarcerated people autonomous access to services, facilitating family connections and entertainment. We will begin by identifying some key deprivations of imprisonment in the prison literature, after which we explore how particular technological provisions address or overlook the pains of imprisonment incarcerated people typically experience. Following this, we outline the relevant policy changes and review empirical findings regarding providing digital technology to people in prison within Australia and overseas. Finally, several relevant policy recommendations are discussed.
