A mobile phone, a computer with an internet connection and a platform for video calls can be used in many ways inside a prison. Prisoners can use them to stay in contact with illegal activities outside the prison, or they can create stress and tension among the inmates. However, they can also reinforce prisoners' contact with their families, improve their mental health and give them the digital skills they need to re-enter society and the labour market after they leave prison.

The use of the internet and digital technologies in prisons has been the subject of debate in recent years. This issue is examined in depth by Pablo Romero, a researcher in the Empirical and Applied Victimology group (VICRIM), affiliated to the management and governance research unit at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), in his recent article The use of online tools and Internet access in prisons: insights from Catalonia, which he co-authored with the UOC researcher Alba Marsol-Gutiérrez and Professor Josep Maria Tamarit-Sumalla. In their study, they analyse statistical data relating to more than 1,600 inmates in Catalan prisons, and qualitative information from interviews with twelve professionals in the prison service.

The role of digital technologies in prisons

The first aim of the study carried out by the UOC researchers was to determine the real extent of the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in prisons in Catalonia, and the factors that facilitate or hinder access. Second, it sought to determine the opinions of professionals working in prisons regarding the impact of ICT on inmates' well-being and social reintegration, and on security in prisons.
The main finding of the study is that digital tools have an important role to play in the educational programmes carried out in prisons, and in how inmates experience their incarceration. "People who are more vulnerable or problematic, and particularly those living a long way from their support network or family, have more opportunities to stay in touch, and this influences their emotional well-being," explained Pablo Romero.

"The vast majority of the professionals we interviewed told us that this contact is very helpful to them in terms of coping with their incarceration, but that ICT also has an important role as a training tool," the researcher added. "We only need to think about how much the world has changed in ten years, and imagine what spending that much time without touching a mobile phone or going online would be like. However, when they leave prison, inmates need to be able to use those tools in order to perform almost any task."

Prisons not only need technological tools to improve inmates' digital skills, but also professionals who can teach them and guide them in their learning process. "Prison officers believe that people who are released with the skills to navigate the digital world have a much more effective reintegration process, socially and in employment," Romero said.

Unequal and limited access in prisons

Despite the benefits that digital technologies can have on inmates' lives, the UOC study showed that access to them is unequal and limited in Catalonia's prisons. The tools available also need to be increased and updated, as most prisons have obsolete and inadequate equipment, making work with ICT difficult.

"It's important that people who want to use digital technologies for training or to stay in touch with their support network can do so, as long as they're allowed to. Access to internet-connected devices are currently limited, and many inmates are excluded. "It's essential that prisons have up-to-date equipment, like in the Omnia Points network, and that those technologies are seen as one of a wide range of tools in re-socialization programmes," explained Pablo Romero.

The study also highlights the importance of professionals working in prisons receiving specialized training in the use and applications of ICT. "Some people think we're heading towards a prison system in which all inmates will have access to a mobile phone. In fact, it's common knowledge among professionals in the industry that the use of unauthorized devices is quite widespread," added the researcher. "And there's also a more conservative attitude, which focuses on the risks inherent in the use of ICT."

The main challenge of including the use of digital technologies in prisons is ensuring that they are not used for criminal purposes, such as using a cell phone to contact someone on the outside who has taken out a restraining order against the prisoner or contacting organized crime or drug trafficking networks. Furthermore, if all inmates have digital devices, it is much easier for one inmate to quickly pass on information to the rest, which can lead to tensions and security issues within the prison itself.

"Apart from the risks, we can conclude that technology plays a dual or even triple role. It acts as a means of contact between the inmate and their social network when they are far away, it is an educational tool, enabling access to online higher education programmes at centres like the UOC, and finally, it provides inmates with essential digital skills for every day after their release," Romero concluded.


This project is aligned with the UOC's research missions: Culture for a critical society and Ethical and human-centred technology, and supports the UN's Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 4, Quality Education, SDG 10, Reduced Inequalities, and SDG 16, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.


Research at the UOC

Specializing in the digital realm, the UOC's research contributes to the construction of future society and the transformations required to tackle global challenges.

Over 500 researchers and more than 50 research groups make up five research units, each with a mission: Culture for a critical society, Lifelong education, Digital health and planetary well-being, Ethical and human-centred technology and Digital transition and sustainability.

The university's Hubbik platform fosters the development of UOC community knowledge transfer and entrepreneurship initiatives.

The goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and open knowledge are strategic pillars that underpin the UOC's teaching, research and knowledge transfer activities. For more information, visit research.uoc.edu.