Digital inclusion as a pathway to social reintegration of juvenile and convicted offenders: a systematic literature review

Abstract

This systematic literature review aims to examine how digital exclusion during incarceration contributes to the social exclusion of both juvenile and adult incarcerated persons and to analyse how digital inclusion initiatives facilitate successful re-entry into a technology-driven society. The review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Articles were searched from Elsevier and Google Scholar. A total of 472 articles were retrieved. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 46 studies were included for review. Our findings show that many correctional jurisdictions rely on offline means of incarcerated persons rehabilitation, and access to basic online services and modern technologies that are available to the public outside of prison is restricted. Most correctional institutions have little or no communication with the outside world. We also found that technology offers the opportunity to normalise the prison environment more closely to that of the outside world. Access to digitally enabled incarcerated persons programming reduces the effects of disproportionate deprivation. Our review concludes that correctional institutions do not exist in isolation; they are influenced by what is happening in the society in which they exist. Hence, the digital transformation of prisons is inevitable.