As discussed by Hewson and colleagues (2020), COVID-19 outbreak in prison setting mirrored wider society. Measures to avoid spreading the virus included the temporary suspension of all family visits and activities with outside persons, such as sport, professional or vocational training (E-European Justice, 2020). Many recreational and occupational prison activities were cancelled, jury trials suspended, and court hearings delayed (Hewson et al., 2020). Once possibilities to substitute activities are scarce in prisons, where access to equipment and the internet are restricted, the time spent in cells increased (up to 23 h per day in some countries) (Kelly et al. 2020). As such, the pressing need to maintain a close to normal functioning has also shed a light on the potential advantages of previously cast aside options, namely technology-based strategies. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to mark a far-reaching turning point for the relationship between prison administrations and technology, while offering a glimpse at a future configuration of prison management services, focused on the individual, by way of technological solutions. In fact, by privileging digital strategies to mitigate the direct negative effects of the pandemic, prison administrations would also be addressing deeply embedded issues which marked the pre-pandemic era, and which will certainly continue to be consequent in the future, such as inmate education and social inclusion. The proposal is closely linked to the idea that the digitalisation momentum derived from the pandemic crisis must not be ignored but instead supported – especially in what concerns inmate education, employability and contact with the outside world. This long-overdue shift creates an opportunity to institute new strategies in prison management and, more than ever, the prison staff’s own ability to handle digital tools and assist prisoners with digital services was needed, revealing the urgent need to invest in the prison staff’s capacity to use digital services. Considering prison staff's (educational/training staff, technicians and prison officers) intermediary role between inmates and technological solutions which exponentially decrease recidivism rates, DIGICOR seeks to invest in providing training to this target group, enhancing their digital skills, and successfully harnessing technology towards inmate rehabilitation. The DIGICOR initiative seeks to support the implementation of innovative solutions, through a capacity-building intervention with prison staff, in turn affecting inmates, and thus facilitating the acquisition of digital literacy skills for one of the most socially and digitally excluded groups, the inmates. Approximately 600 stakeholders will be engaged in the project's activities. In order to fully understand the context-specific needs of the partner countries stakeholders, and building on preliminary research, the Consortium will engage in needs analysis and desk research activities (A2), which will ultimately lead to the production of IO1 State of the art analysis. These efforts will be complemented by the launch of A3, specifically in what concerns the production of the "prison digitalisation scenarios", and associated online repository for prison technologies (IO2). The Consortium will then invest in the development of the prison staff digital competences profile, and associated work-based programme, which will be easily transposed into DIGICOR's training provision initiatives: Training provision for the digital transition for prison staff, towards reduced recidivism (IO4, in the form of a b-learning training course) and Train-the-trainer programme for digital readiness (IO5, in the form of an e-learning training course). Both training courses will be operationalised and piloted, as well as the prison digitalisation scenarios, under A5 and A6, respectively. Lastly, DIGICOR will produce a set of policy recommendations, providing guidelines for the digital transition in penitentiary settings, with the aim of favouring inmate reduced recidivism. General project management activities (A1) will be carried out for the entire lifespan of the project, as well as any tasks connected to evaluation and active monitoring (A6), and dissemination and mainstreaming (A7). The Consortium also intends for the project to achieve a ripple effect in what concerns the updating of the training provision in regard to digital skillls for prison staff at a European level. As such, all intellectual outputs will be constructed bearing in mind the need for replicability and adaptability, as they will be made available to all interested entities. Through its dissemination strategy and multiplier events, the Consortium will also seek to influence the agendas of European policy- and decision-makers, so that it is possible to address the broader European relevance of the issues, actions and outputs of the project, looking beyond the project’s confines.
On January 31st, 2019, there were 1,540,484 prisoners in the 46 penal institutions of the Council of Europe Member States (Council of Europe, 2019). It is also known that the recidivism rate usually fluctuates between 30 and 50%, approx., in some European countries such as Germany. Responding to the pandemic threat itself demanded fast, ad hoc digital solutions, in prisons which in themselves also carried unforeseen repercussions (deepened the hostilities and tensions). The poor implementation of these measures deepened the impact felt by inmates on a variety of areas, and these recent experiences come only to confirm the results of previous processes of technological modernisation of penitentiary settings. Contrary to what was expected, they contributed to inmates’ isolation and, consequently, the degradation of their relationship with staff (Johnson, 2005). Moreover, regardless of existing budget constraints, barriers partially result from resistance from prison staff to the use of technology that supports (but also monitors) their activity; and the beliefs in myths or obsolete security ideas about the use of technology in prisons. A study conducted in Finland (involving 52 prison staff members and 87 prisoners) revealed that some prison staff still resist to change towards a digital approach, and see prison digitalisation as a threat (Lindström & Puolakka, 2018). To sustain the progress achieved in the frame of the pandemic, and qualitatively improve the implementation of these digital strategies, DIGICOR sought to update prison staff as lack of functioning skills and proper management of new technology is a barrier to prisons’ digital trends. DIGICOR rode the momentum derived from the pandemic crisis must not be ignored but instead supported – especially in what concerns inmate education, employability and contact with the outside world. In fact, participants in our activities proved that ambitious, integrated modernisation strategy for prisons could be guided by the overarching objective of offering inmates effective services for their successful reintegration. Bearing these objectives in mind, DIGICOR developed a joint capacity-building intervention targeted at prison staff – from prison officers as frontline staff, to educators and trainers, as well as supporting technicians and industry players-, ensuring that technological tools are harnessed towards reducing inmate recidivism. The transnational nature of the partnershipallowed partners and participants to profit from more or less digital experience.
Behind DIGICOR is the impetus that the digitalisation momentum derived from the pandemic crisis must not be ignored but instead supported – especially so far as inmate education, employability and contact with the outside world are concerned. This long-overdue shift creates an opportunity to institute new strategies in prison management and, more than ever, the prison staff’s own ability to handle digital tools and assist prisoners with digital services was needed, revealing the urgent need to invest in the prison staff’s capacity to use digital services.