How technology can give prisoners the opportunities to change?

The prison system is currently under sustained and serious pressure from security threats and rising levels of violence and self-harm.

Many have advocated the need to focus on investing in services to reduce the £18.1 billion annual cost of reoffending and preventing offenders from continually returning to prison.

Analysis of the ‘Ten Prisons Project’ seen a reduction in violence within seven of the ten prison sites; but it takes more than just physical barriers to create a safe and secure environment for staff and prisoners.  A different approach is required, which calls for a huge cultural and structural change. 

Liz Truss in 2016 stated,

it requires…a transformation away from offender warehouses to disciplined and purposeful centres of reform where all prisoners get a second chance at leading a good life.

Enabling prisoners with more responsibility and freedom within the prison walls creates opportunities for positive change. Typically, prisons limit prisoners’ movement, reinforcing helplessness, frustration, and despair. This requires additional staff resources for escorting, reducing meaningful engagement and individual interactions, which counteracts the rehabilitative goals of a prison.

By allowing prisoners to make choices and providing them with controlled physical movement, they can adopt positive behaviours, leading to a greater sense of well-being and independence.

As Steven Van De Steene in 2018 put it,

The biggest challenge of prisons is to find a good balance between security, rehabilitation and efficiency”.  Technology can be an excellent investment and can help to establish a more balanced humane and normalised environment where staff and prisoners can live together.

With the help of technology, controlled freedom of movement can be achieved.

Tephra’s Movement solution is a state of the art security solution that accurately confirms the identity and controls the movement of prisoners, as they move between the establishment’s facilities. 

Created specifically for the unique demands of the high security environment where accurate identity is paramount, Tephra’s Movement solution provides the highest levels of security and safety whilst supporting a less institutional and more normalised living environment.