The Rise of Digital Technology in Prisons Technology has become a source of solace to prisoners, a tool for reform, and a window to the outside world. Email, video visitation, video-grams, videogames, music, movies, TV streaming, mobile phones, digital newspapers, ebooks, and online educational services have all been introduced through e-tablets and kiosks over the…

The legal landscape surrounding electronic communication in prisons is uneven and highly dependent on where a prisoner is housed. In some jurisdictions, courts have been reluctant to recognize constitutional protections for electronic speech, leaving individuals with limited ability to challenge restrictions. In others, courts have acknowledged that when prisons choose to provide electronic communication, they…

Prisons have not been left out of the tech renaissance of the last twenty years. It started in 2006 with basic email services for Federal Board of Prisons inmates. Since then, companies like Securus and GTL have partnered with agencies to supply electronic smart tablets or kiosks that allow inmates limited Internet access, email, video…