This document discusses the challenges and opportunities of introducing digital technologies and online education programs into prisons. It summarizes a project that introduced devices loaded with educational courses and programs from the University of Southern Queensland into correctional facilities in Australia. While there are security and logistical challenges, proponents argue that digital education can help occupy and develop skills for prisoners. The project found that limiting device functionality and closely monitoring usage can mitigate risks, and that education may help shift prisoners' identities and behaviors in positive ways.

1. Introducing digital technologies into
prisons: Issues and challenges
Associate Professor Helen Farley
Digital Life Lab
University of Southern Queensland

4. How do I know?
• Introduced digital technologies for
learning into correctional centres
• In Queensland, Tasmania, Western
Australia and the Northern Territory
• Private and public prisons
• Probation and parole
• 1000 prisoners over 4 years
• No security breaches

5. The challenges
• No internet
• Restricted access to technology
• Competition with vocational and
cognitive training
• Universities increasingly online
• Prioritisation of custodial
• No social or cultural capital

6. Our solution
• 2 technologies
• Server
• Personal device
• Technologies loaded with USQ
StudyDesk
• Provides access to a selection of
USQ courses and programs
designed to work without internet

7. A sad story …

8. Advocates
• Keeping prisoners occupied
• Developing digital literacies
• Skills for learning and working
• Skills for living
• Mindfulness
• Diabetes management
• Eases movement restrictions
• Eases pain of dislocation

10. Sceptics
• Too smart for their own good
• They’re in there for a reason
• All technology is corruptible
• All prisoners want to corrupt
technology
• Coercion
• Ready access to OS, mobile
technologies, USBs
• Power illegal devices (watch
the YouTube!)

11. Custodial is king

12. Working with custodial
• Must be given opportunity to voice
their concerns
• Must be given opportunity to explore
technologies
• Must work within existing systems,
approvals
• Use existing processes
• These are the people who pick up the
pieces

13. Learning what can be dangerous
• All the usual: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cameras
• Mass storage devices
• Powered ports
• Batteries
• Cords
• Places to hide stuff: physical and virtual
• Desktop shortcuts
• An accomplice

14. What we’ve done … Device Manager Software
• Two log ins: Education officer and Student
• Group policies
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, network, camera, recorder, ports disabled
• Device Manager Software constantly scans for attempts at
re-enabling
• Constantly scans for file types
• Automatically disables everything upon sleeping
• Limits visibility for Student of drives: Can’t hide anything
• Tick or cross in task bar

16. Third party security certifications
• Some peace of mind for
jurisdictions
• Will find something
• Balancing risk and benefit
• Need to address concerns
• Jurisdictions watch each
other

17. What can go wrong?
• Reactivating deactivated functionality
• Using devices for other than intended
purposes
• Lighting cigarettes from shorted cords
• Creating illegal documents/files
• Offensive prose/poetry
• Pornographic material
• Coercion
• Jealousy/resentment
• Use as a physical weapon

18. Prevention … the easy things
• Thorough screening of prisoners for
suitability … or not?
• Agreements, e.g. Qld In-Cell Laptop
Agreement
• Hire - investment
• Documentation, e.g. what should it
look like?
• Rugged hardware (and software)
• Training of education/custodial
officers and prisoners

19. Dynamic security
• Education is a privilege
• Work with prisoners to know where they are at with their studies
• Shift in identity - prosocial
• Development of higher cognitive skills
• Builds resilience
• Develops vocabulary and fosters negotiation
• Develop self-reliance and self-regulation
• Gain digital literacies
• Oh, and to gain a qualification

20. ‘Education has made me more well-behaved … it’s had
a calming effect … gave me something else to think
about … stopped me acting so impulsively … gave me
some long term thoughts …’
Damien, undergraduate incarcerated student in the
Making the Connection project
Maryborough Correctional Centre, 31 July 2015

21. Making the Connection
• 1000 incarcerated students
• 2000 course enrolments
• 77% retention rate
• All but one correctional centre in Queensland
• Tasmania, Western Australia, Northern Territory
• Negotiating a different mode of delivery in the ACT
• Proposals with Victoria and South Australia
• Recently, deployed with Probation & Parole in Ipswich and Inala

22. Programs
• Tertiary Preparation Program
• Indigenous Higher Education Pathways Program
• Diploma of Arts
• Diploma of Science
• Associate Degree of Business Administration

24. A happier story …

25. Pictures from Flickr …
• 2765 Cold by nebojsa mladjenovic
• FACER5 by akaTman
• Prison cell by Aapo Haapanen
• Finger by Andreas Levers
• The music is all I have left by Neil Moralee
• Netbook Sony VAIO by Antonio Tajuelo
• Crown by Peter Clark
• Shattered by jeff gloriana
• Power cord by The Next Web
• Broken lock by Mike Myers
• Sparks by Kevin Faccenda
• Community ..... by Kamaljith K V
• A CATastrophic Surprise by Susan Gilson
• Thank You by Nate Grigg

26. A couple of other conferences …
• The Australasian Corrections Education Association Conference
• October 3 – 5 Canberra
• https://acea.org.au/
• Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education
• December 4 – 6 Toowoomba
• http://2017conference.ascilite.org/

27. Keeping in touch …
Project newsletter
http://bit.ly/USQMakingtheConnection

28. Helen Farley
07 4631 1738
helen.farley@usq.edu.au