Abstract:

Developments in information and communications technology (ICT) have changed how people in nations like Australia conduct their lives. Widespread access to the internet, use of social media and the capacity to manage vast amounts of information and to communicate instantly with people all across the world have fundamentally changed our personal and professional lives.

While the use of ICT has increased exponentially for most Australians, those held in our prisons have not had the same access to this technology.

The emerging use of ICT in prisons promises to transform the daily lived experience of prisoners.

This paper explores some of the ways ICT is being implemented in Australian prisons and internationally, and considers the challenges, risks and benefits of bridging the ‘digital divide’.