Digital reentry: uses of and barriers to ICTs in the prisoner reentry process

Abstract

ABSTRACT High incarceration rates and a focus on incapacitation during incarceration lead to a ‘revolving door effect’ in the United States, with more than two thirds of parolees rearrested within three years of release. One aspect that is missing from efforts to resolve the revolving door effect is how access to and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) might improve the reentry process. Focus groups with 73 male and female returning citizens in a large Midwestern city examined which types of ICTs parolees use and for what purposes; what the key barriers to access and use are; and which kinds of ICTs parolees need for reentry services. Our findings show that both access and lack of skills are barriers to using ICTs, with many perceived negative effects reported by our participants. As part of our policy recommendations, we stress the importance of including ICT training during and after incarceration.