NCJ Number
227426
Journal
Howard Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 48 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2009 Pages: 132-143
Date Published
2009
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article examines contemporary rationales and historical precedents for denying prisoners the means to communicate through innovative communication technology.
Abstract
Findings show that prisoners believe that the restricted access they have to computer-mediated communication technologies and the almost total absence of computers and Internet access in prisons is a form of censure that renders them second-class citizens in the current information age. The novelty and distinctiveness of denying prisoners normal right of communication is a moot point. However, the lack of access to information and communication technologies has been described as a distinctive pain of modern imprisonment for the simple reason that the technological revolution that has occurred over the last two decades has expanded the social worlds of free citizens almost to the four corners of the globe, revolutionizing the ways that most people do business, shop, learn, and relax. At the same time, it has created a new level of disconnection between prison and society and has reinvigorated debates about the totality of prison institutions. Loss of stimulation means that boredom features heavily in a prisoner's life. In comparison with the mid-1990s, prisoners are spending more time locked in their cells and less time engaged in constructive or purposeful activities. Separation from family and friends is a further pain faced by most prisoners, and is felt especially acutely by young prisoners for whom family is a vital form of support. Loss of contact with families and, in particular damaged or severed relationships with children, is a high-risk factor in suicidal behavior and self-harm and has been identified as one of the primary factors in recidivism. Notes and references