THE PURPOSE OF DIGITALIZATION OF PRISONS IS REHABILITATION AND REINTEGRATION

Many European countries are currently investing in new digital solutions for prisoners’ personal use. The purpose of this is not only to modernise prison conditions, but to provide new means of rehabilitation and reintegration. Only a part of the services that prisoners need can be offered inside prison by the prison staff. Most prison systems must rely on outside public and voluntary services like NGOs. However, prisoners’ access to these services has been limited and overly dependent on the activity and motivation of the outside service providers. The principle of normality states that prisoners should, as far as possible, have equal access to services just like all citizens. These rights cannot be fulfilled without providing prisoners with proper digital means. Adequate and real-time services usually require a possibility to use these services online in prison.

The Prison and Probation Service of Finland has introduced three Smart Prisons since 2021. The Smart Prison concept defines prison as a learning environment for a life without crime, where digital services enable and support learning and rehabilitation. Traditionally, the Prison and Probation Service has many outside partners, especially NGOs, which provide services for prisoners with the idea of facilitating their reintegration into society after release. The Smart Prison concept provides each prisoner with a personal cell device containing a software (Doris) for online communication and management of affairs inside the prison and, to a limited extent, outside the prison. Prisoners can access various web-based services and keep contact with outside service providers, officials and close ones via video calls and e-mail. The web-based services include basic, high school and vocational education, psychological, healthcare, and social services. NGOs have provided their own learning platforms for improving everyday life skills, digital skills, and desistance from crime. The basic purpose of the Prison and Probation Service is to reduce recidivism and reintegrate: the surveys and the collected feedback refer to this new technology being a significant factor in promoting the goals (Puolakka, 2022; Puolakka & Suomela, 2023).

Digitalization is also a mean to save resources or allocate them in a new way. In the Smart Prisons, the purpose is to make the staff’s workflows smoother and faster. Using online services saves part of the supervision and logistical resources of the prison. When prisoners take care of their daily affairs and outside contacts more independently, staff can have more time for face-to-face rehabilitative work instead of routine tasks. Previously, the prison staff had to take care of the prisoners’ affairs for the prisoners, because prisoners lacked personal access to digital means (for example video calls, e-mail, and Open Office tools). Requiring prisoners to do their paperwork and handle contacts by themselves also promotes their digital literacy and digital skills, which are necessary for studying and working after release. The digital marginalization of prisoners – especially the ones who serve the longest sentences – increases the risk of unsuccessful reintegration.

In the future, the digitalization of prisons will be revolutionized by artificial intelligence (AI). Automation and analytics can increase effective and fast management of the resources, risks and needs. AI literacy is already promoted in Finnish prisons by providing prisoners online courses on the basics of AI and prison work in training AI algorithms. In the future, many more possibilities will arise regarding the security technology, the offender analysis and management, and the resource and human resource management. However, ethical consideration of the use of AI must be taken seriously. AI solutions can either repeat or correct the fallacies of human reasoning and decision making. In the case of vulnerable and already stigmatized populations like prisoners, there is a risk to justify inappropriate procedures just because they are obtained by AI.

The basic purpose will always remain the same: how to best rehabilitate and reintegrate prisoners back into society. In a modern digitalized society with increasing cognitive demands, the basic goals cannot be promoted without digital devices and services offered to prisoners for personal use.

References:

Wired UK 2019: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/finland-ai-prisons

Business Insider 2020: https://www.businessinsider.com/finland-prisons-technology-ai-online-classes-2020-8?r=US&IR=T

Correctional News, 2021: https://correctionalnews.com/2021/11/03/smart-prison-facility-spurs-rehabilitation-in-finland/

EuroPris News 2021: https://www.europris.org/news/smart-prisons-in-finland-2021/

Justice Trends 2021: https://justice-trends.press/smart-prison-a-historical-digital-leap-in-finnish-prisons/

Justice Trends 2022: https://justice-trends.press/smart-prison-from-prison-digitalisation-to-prison-using-learning-and-training-artificial-intelligence/

Justice Trends 2023: https://justice-trends.press/smart-prisons-and-artificial-intelligence-systems-expand-in-finland/

Penal Reform International 2021: https://www.penalreform.org/blog/towards-digitalisation-of-prisons-finlands-smart-prison-project/

Järveläinen, E., & Rantanen, T. (2020). Incarcerated people’s challenges for digital inclusion in Finnish prisons. Nordic Journal of Criminology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/2578983X.2020.1819092

Lindström, B., & Puolakka, P. (2020). Smart Prison: the preliminary development process of digital self-services in Finnish prisons. https://icpa.org/smart-prison-the-preliminary-development-process-of-digital-self-services-in-finnish-prisons/

Puolakka, P., & Van De Steene, S. (2021).  Artificial Intelligence in Prisons in 2030. An exploration on the future of Artificial Intelligence in Prisons. Advancing Corrections Journal, 11, ICPA.

Puolakka, P. (2022). Implementing a Smart Prison in Finland. Advancing Corrections Journal, 14. ICPA.

Puolakka, P., & Suomela, M. (2023). Digitalization Supports Human Rights in Finnish Prisons, Advancing Corrections Journal, 16, p. 50-61. ICPA.

Rantanen, T., Järveläinen, E., & Leppälahti, T. (2021): Prisoners as Users of Digital Health Care and Social Welfare Services: A Finnish Attitude Survey. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(11), 5528.

Pia Puolakka

Senior Specialist and Team Leader in the
Finnish Prison and Probation Service.
Currently leading the RISE AI project for offender management
and is part of the Council of Europe’s expert group
developing recommendations for the use of AI in corrections.