Embracing European Principles: Technology and Education for a Diverse Prison Community (PID021)

1.30pm – 2.15pm ICT, 25 February 2025 ‐ 45 mins

Workshop Session

This exploratory case study conducted in three Austrian penal facilities in 2022 and 2023 included 46 semi-structured interviews with 16 prison staff and 30 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs). Findings were analyzed through the lenses of andragogy and European principles of normalization, openness, and responsibility. Technology-assisted learning programs, such as university degrees and language classes, exemplified these principles, particularly for non-native speakers learning German, which facilitated education and employment opportunities during incarceration. To enhance staff buy-in and accessibility, the study suggested optimizing the ELIS learning platform with a more user-friendly interface and multilingual support. Training incarcerated university students to teach language classes could alleviate staff workload. Additionally, providing institutionally owned computers with internet access in hallways improved accessibility.