Abstract
Although prisons aim to rehabilitate offenders and offer programs to change offending behavior, they rarely provide a culture that sustains such a change. This chapter describes how digital technology can impact on the dependency culture that exists in prisons. Prisoners have little opportunity for taking personal responsibility within a prison regime, so prison does not prepare them for managing their lives after release. Technology offers the opportunity to normalize the prison environment more closely with that of the outside world making the processes more efficient and encouraging self-responsibility and self-improvement in prisoners. This chapter describes the introduction of self-service kiosks, similar to those found in the community in supermarkets, travel centers, doctors’ surgeries, and job centers. The kiosks, accessed via biometric fingerprint identification, are located on wing landings and enable prisoners to complete tasks previously carried out by prison officers using resource-intensive paper-based systems. The functions on the kiosks include access to prisoner account balance, canteen shopping, menu ordering, visits booking, and applications for education. Processes of implementation are described, including staff and prisoner responses and frequency of use. Rigorous evaluation of the impact on performance measures of introducing the kiosks in a number of mainly private prisons in our recent research revealed a statistically significant reduction in adjudications for in-prison misbehavior including violence. Reoffending was also significantly lower than in prisons without self-service technology. Potentials for using the kiosks to develop the educational and rehabilitative functions of prisons are discussed.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aboujaoude, E. (2011). Virtually you: The dangerous powers of the E-personality. New York: W. W. Norton.
Aboujaoude, E., & Starcevic, V. (2015). Mental health in the digital age: Grave dangers, great promise. New York: Oxford University Press.
Agnew, R. (2006). Pressured into crime: An overview of general strain theory. New York: Oxford University.
Andrews, D. A., & Bonta, J. (2010). The psychology of criminal conduct (5th ed.). New Providence: LexisNexis Matthew Bender.
Batchelder, J. S., & Rachal, J. R. (2000). Efficiency of a computer assisted instruction programme in a prison setting. Adult Education Quarterly, 50, 120.
Bonta, J., & Andrews, D. A. (2017). The psychology of criminal conduct (6th ed.). New York: Routledge. ISBN 9781138935778.
Bouffard, J. A., Taxman, F., & Silverman, R. (2003). Improving process evaluations of correctional programs by using a comprehensive evaluation methodology. Evaluation and Program Planning, 26(2), 149–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0149-7189(03)00010-7.
Champion, N., & Edgar, K. (2013). Through the gateway: How computers can transform rehabilitation. Prison Reform Trust and Prisoners’ Education Trust. https://fbclientprisoners.s3.amazonaws.com/Documents/CQ%20through%20the%20gateway%20WEB1.pdf. Accessed 1 July 2017.
Coates, S. (2016). Unlocking potential: A review of education in prison. London: Ministry of Justice. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unlocking-potential-a-review-of-education-in-prison
Cochran, J. C., Mears, D. P., Bales, W. D., & Stewart, E. A. (2014). Does inmate behavior affect post-release offending? Investigating the misconduct-recidivism relationship among youth and adults. Justice Quarterly, 31(6), 1044–1073. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2012.736526.
Dubourg, R., & Hamed, J. (2005). Estimates of the economic and social costs of crime in England and Wales: Costs of crime against individuals and households, 2003/04. Home Office Online Report 30/05. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100413151441/http:/www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr3005.pdf
French, S. A., & Gendreau, P. (2006). Reducing prison misconducts: What works! Criminal Justice and Behavior, 33(2), 185–218. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854805284406.
Gauke, D. (2018a). Prisons reform speech. London: Royal Society of Arts. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/prisons-reform-speech
Gauke, D. (2018b). Education and employment strategy. Presented to parliament by justice secretary. London: Ministry of Justice.
Gauke, D. (2018c). From sentencing to incentives – How prison can better protect the public from the effects of crime. London: Centre for Social Justice. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/justice-secretary-launches-fresh-crackdown-on-crime-in-prison-speech
Gilbody, S. (2015). Computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT) as treatment for depression in primary care. (REEACT trial): Large-scale pragmatic randomized controlled trial. BMJ, 351. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h5627.
Gojkovic, D., Meek, R., & Mills, A. (2011). Offender engagement with third sector organisations: A national prison-based survey (Third Sector Research Centre working paper 61). https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/generic/tsrc/documents/tsrc/working-papers/working-paper-61.pdf
Heil, P., Harrison, L., English, K., & Ahlmeyer, S. (2009). Is prison sexual offending indicative of community risk? Criminal Justice and Behavior, 36(9), 892–908. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854809338989.
Helsper, E. J., & Eynon, R. (2013). Distinct skills pathways to digital engagement. European Journal of Communication, 28(6), 696–713.
Howard, P., Francis, B., Soothill, K., & Humphreys, L. (2009). OGRS 3: The revised Offender Group Reconviction Scale (research summary 7/09). London: Ministry of Justice.
Hulley, S., Liebling, A., & Crewe, B. (2012). Respect in prisons: Prisoners’ experiences of respect in public and private sector prisons. Criminology and Criminal Justice, 12(1), 3–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748895811423088.
Hussey, M. A., & Hughes, J. P. (2007). Design and analysis of stepped wedge cluster randomized trials. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 28(2), 182–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2006.05.007.
Jewkes, Y., & Reisdorf, B. C. (2016). A brave new world: The problems and opportunities presented by new media technologies in prisons. Criminology & Criminal Justice, 16(5), 534–551. https://doi.org/10.1177/174889581665495.
Joliffe, D., Farrington, D. P., & Howard, P. (2013). How long did it last? A 10-year reconviction follow-up study of high intensity training for young offenders. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 9(4), 515–531.
King, C. M. (2016). The prediction of criminal recidivism using self- and evaluator appraised risk and needs. Doctoral dissertation. http://search.proquest.com/docview/1790102519. Accessed 1 July 2017.
King, C. M., Heilbrun, K., Kim, N. Y., McWilliams, K., Phillips, S., Barbera, J., & Fretz, R. (2017). Tablet computers and forensic and correctional psychological assessment: A randomized controlled study. Law and Human Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1037/lhb0000245.
Knight, V. (2015). Some observations on the digital landscape of prisons today. Prison Service Journal, 229, 3–9.
Lipsey, M., Landenberger, N. A., & Wilson, S. J. (2007). Effects of cognitive-behavioral programs for criminal offenders: A systematic review. The Campbell Collaboration Library. http://www.campbellcollaboration.org/lib/project/29/
Listwan, S. J., Sullivan, C. J., Agnew, R., Cullen, F. T., & Colvin, M. (2013). The pains of imprisonment revisited: The impact of strain on inmate recidivism. Justice Quarterly, 30(1), 144–168. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2011.597772.
Lösel, F., Pugh, G., Markson, L., Souza, K. A., & Lansky, C. (2012). Risk and protective factors in the resettlement of imprisoned fathers with their families. Milton: Ormiston Children’s and Families Trust. Accessed 1 July 2017 from Google Scholar.
Mann, R. E., Webster, S. D., Wakeling, H. C., & Keylock, H. (2013). Why do sexual offenders refuse treatment? Journal of Sexual Aggression, 19(2), 191–206. https://doi.org/10.1080/13552600.2012.703701.
McDougall, C., & Pearson, D. A. S. (2014). Process evaluation: The prisoner custodial management system (CMS). Unpublished process evaluation report.
McDougall, C., Pearson, D. A. S., Willoughby, H., & Bowles, R. A. B. (2013). Evaluation of the ADViSOR project: Cross-situational behaviour monitoring of high-risk offenders in prison and the community. Legal & Criminological Psychology, 18(2), 205–228.
McDougall, C., Pearson, D. A. S., Torgerson, D. J., & Garcia-Reyes, M. (2017). The effect of digital technology on prisoner behavior and reoffending: A natural stepped-wedge design. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 13(4), 455–482.
Molleman, T., & van Os, R. (2016). Technological disparity across prison services. https://www.europris.org/file/technological-disparity-across-prison-services/
Morris, J., & Kaur Bans, M. (2018). Developing digitally enabled interventions for prison and probation settings: A review. Journal of Forensic Practice, 20(2), 134–140. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFP-08-2017-0030.
National Offender Management Service. (2015). Prison service instruction enhanced behavior monitoring. London: NOMS. https://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/offenders/psipso/psi-2015/pi-16-2015.pdf. Accessed Nov 2018.
Newnham, E. A., Doyle, E. L., Sng, A. A. H., Hooke, G. R., & Page, A. C. (2012). Improving clinical outcomes in care with touch-screen technology. Psychological Services, 9(2), 221–223.
Petersilia, J. (2016). Realigning corrections, California style. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences, 664(1), 8–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716215599932.
Prendergast, M. L., Hall, E. A., Wexler, H. K., Melnick, G., & Cao, Y. (2004). Amity prison- based therapeutic community: 5-year outcomes. The Prison Journal, 84(1), 36–60.
Reisdorf, B. C., & Rikard, R. V. (2018). Digital rehabilitation: A model of reentry into the digital age. American Behavioral Scientist, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764218773817.
Singer, J. D., & Willett, J. B. (2003). Applied longitudinal data analysis: Modeling change and event occurrence. New York: Oxford University Press.
Tait, S. (2008). Care and the prison officer: Beyond ‘care bears’ and ‘turn-keys’. Prison Service Journal, 180, 3–11.
Wolff, N., Shi, J., & Schumann, B. E. (2012). Reentry preparedness among soon-to-be-released inmates and the role of time served. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 379–385. https://doi.org/10.1016/jcrimjus.2012.06.008.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 The Author(s)
About this entry
Cite this entry
McDougall, C., Pearson, D.A.S. (2020). Technology as a Means of Rehabilitation: A Measurable Impact on Reducing Crime. In: Holt, T., Bossler, A. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of International Cybercrime and Cyberdeviance. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78440-3_71
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78440-3_71
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-78439-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-78440-3
eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences