The Carceral Automaton: Digital Prisons and Technologies of Detention

Abstract

Prisons are on the cusp of a technological transformation as twenty-first-century digital connectivity in ‘free’ society permeates prison design and offender management. This article will begin with an overview of the digital technologies in ‘smart’ prisons. Two limbs are emerging: technologies that are embedded into the infrastructure of prisons to benefit authorities through heightened security, and technologies that may benefit prisoners by providing them with positive opportunities to access justice, maintain family relationships and engage in programs aimed at optimising their post-release circumstances and rehabilitation. However, recent case law paints a picture of prison life devoid of human contact during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing isolation and heightened anxiety. Through the lens of emergent conceptions of digital criminology, this article will analyse Australian case law to examine whether the automated, smart or digital prison offers a utopian vision of safe detention and rehabilitation or a dehumanised and punitive dystopia.

Smart prison technology and challenges: a systematic literature reviews

“…Prison challenges based on the TOE framework can be seen in Table 4. Facial recognition [21] Smart sensor [10] Fire protection [20], [32] Building automation system (BAS) [10], [32] Heat, ventilation, and air-conditioning system (HVAC) [32] Lighting [20], [32] Vertical transportation system [32] Energy and sustainability system [32] Robot wardens [21] Tracking wristbands [10], [21] Personal communication devices [10], [21] Virtual reality-technology [33] Audio-video system [20], [33]…”

“…Networking [32] Wiring infrastructure [10], [33] Data/database Data sharing with public service institutions [10] Analytics/visualization Phone calls analytics [10] Video analytics [10], [21], [34]- [36] Alert/recommender prison authorities [10], [37], [38] Application/integration E-shopping [20], [33] Advanced IS [10], [21], [33] Healthcare system [10], [24] Smartphone-based applications [6], [23], [27] E-messaging [32] Digital self-service [6], [10], [21] Digital participation [28] Funds transfer [20], [33] Digital devices for rehabilitation [21], [38]- [40] AI-based personal assistant [10] Security and management Building management system (BMS) [32] Video surveillance system [21], [32], [36], [41] Table 4…”

“…High cost of smart technology [10], [20] Aging outdated facilities and non-compatibility of existing buildings with smart technologies [20] Lack of regulatory policy and local standards for smart technology [20], [28] Implementation and integration of the prison system into smart technology [6], [7], [20], [21], [23]- [26], [39], [40], [42], [43]…”

“…Ethical concerns [21], [36] Ignorance of beneficiary's requirements [6], [20] Controversy of smart technology [10], [26], [28], [45], [46] Changing behavior and preparing prisoners before release [6], [23], [24], [26], [36], [39], [42] Communication within prisoner and family [21], [23], [25]  ISSN: 2252-8938…”

Challenges in deploying educational technologies for tertiary education in the carceral setting: Reconnecting or connecting?

“…Across the US and Europe, and more recently in New South Wales, digital tablets have been supplied to prisoners to provide access to entertainment, administrative functions such as appointment booking, and education. These technologies are often supplied free of charge to prisons with the technology companies charging prisoners for access to materials and resources (McKay, 2022). Every prison in Aotearoa New Zealand has Secure Online Learning suites that offer learners access to a limited range of whitelisted websites focused on drivers licensing and literacy and numeracy (McLauclan & Farley, 2019).…”