Some Observations on the Digital Landscape of Prisons Today

This article will provide a review of some of the developments that have taken place in prison with respect to communication digital technologies and draws upon data collated from interviews with prisoners, prison staff and also digital providers and key stakeholders from across corporate and third sectors. This article adds to a body of research conducted by Knight relating to in-cell television in a male adult prison. This part of the research goes some way to giving voice to ‘security experts with the knowledge and skills to suggest how Internet use in prisons could be managed’ . Moreover, it reflects on the evolving nature of digital technologies and considers how prisons are managing these and the extent to which digital technologies are being embraced by prisons, here in the UK, across Europe and the USA. More broadly, this short analysis tells us much about the ways in which our prisons resist technology, how this is mirrored by public perception and the degrees to which digital technologies achieve ‘luxury’ status.