VR in Prison

Welcome back (or to) Sunday Morning Coffee. I’m coming to you this morning from the beautiful Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. I brought my daughter and grandbabies out for a weekend of hiking and other nature shenanigans. It’s been wonderful. There’s nothing like nature to ground you, relax you, and remind you of how lucky we are to have it. Imagine, if you will, being locked in a space where you might get to see daylight for an hour a day, maybe not. I’ve worked in spaces where incarcerated individuals would go months without being outside or seeing out a window, despite policies and laws that dictate otherwise. It’s not easy on staff working in those spaces, either, but at least they get to walk out at the end of a shift and breathe fresh air, feel the wind, and see all the colors of the ‘outside.’

We talk a lot about how the criminal justice system could be more innovative in how they enhance rehabilitation opportunities and reduce recidivism rates. One technology that could work well is virtual reality (VR). By immersing individuals in simulated environments, VR offers unique opportunities for education, therapy, and career-readiness training.

One of the most promising applications of VR in prisons is in education. We know that access to education can significantly reduce the likelihood of recidivism. Traditional educational programs in prisons often face challenges, such as limited resources, space, and funding. Virtual reality can provide a cost-effective solution by offering a diverse range of educational content and experiences. One of the ways I introduced a more immersive educational experience to students was through the APDS learning platform, specifically the virtual classroom app. Students could engage in real time with instructors, each other, subject matter experts, and professors from across the world. It was a game changer. We included actual field trips as well, so that students could travel wherever we wanted to take them, in real time, asking questions, and experiencing the outside world. Think about the impact of that…our teachers could take students to a Smithsonian, a historic site, on hiking trails…we had staff who scheduled field trips on their own vacations so that students could see the sites of cities, beaches, museums, all over the world and interact with native experts. The boundaries were limitless. If students had VR equipment so that they were physically immersed in the educational experience, even better.

I’ve been visiting often with creative folks like Tanaj Moody, founder of Light to Life, about the ways in which VR can be used for therapeutic purposes, specifically in trauma healing. Incarcerated individuals often struggle with mental health issues before their confinement, and always resulting from the stress and trauma of prison life. Virtual reality can be used as a therapeutic tool to address these challenges. VR-based therapy sessions can help people manage anxiety, anger, and depression, thereby promoting emotional well-being and fostering better coping mechanisms. The discussions around these types of applications are exciting.

One of the main obstacles faced by justice impacted individuals is the lack of marketable skills, making it challenging for them to find employment after release. Virtual reality can offer vocational training programs that simulate real-world job scenarios, preparing students for various careers. This training can range from technical skills like carpentry and plumbing to soft skills like communication and teamwork. We’ve used our secure APDS devices and learning platform in this way as well. It’s one thing to teach a soft skill, but even better when a student can role-play and practice it. The virtual app on the devices allowed for this. Another brilliant friend of mine is working on a VR program where incarcerated students can actually go through a mock interview, then go back and do it again to improve their skills. What if students could learn some basic CTE skills like what wrench to use, or which wire to cut, etc when there’s no space for vocational shops? Aren’t those skills better than no skills? And then they might be more prepared for real-life training. When I was working in the juvenile system, we weren’t allowed to provide students with chemistry labs, so I purchased a VR set-up where they dissected frogs and did all of their chemistry experiments. Everyone was able to pass the state exam, even though they never held a glass beaker or scalpel.

From a correctional agency “safety and security” perspective, VR can be a tool to assist in this arena. Prison environments can often be volatile, with incidents of violence and aggression. Virtual reality experiences that promote empathy and perspective-taking can help reduce violent tendencies among residents. By enabling them to see situations from different viewpoints, VR can foster compassion and understanding, ultimately contributing to a safer prison environment.

And my last thought is about how virtual reality can play a crucial role in preparing people for their reintegration into society and assisting them once they’re home. By creating immersive scenarios that reflect real-life challenges they may encounter, incarcerated individuals can practice decision-making, problem-solving, and social interactions in a controlled environment. This preparation can lead to a smoother transition back into the community and increase the chances of successful reintegration. I just met a wonderful group of people who will soon be showcasing a VR experience they’ve built for returning citizens that will help them along their substance use recovery journey. It was mind-boggling to me, and I can see so many ways in which it will be beneficial to folks as they struggle to get their lives on track.

While virtual reality in prisons is still an emerging field, its potential impact on rehabilitation and societal reintegration is significant. The technology's ability to offer education, therapy, vocational training, and empathy-building experiences can revolutionize the way we approach the concept of incarceration and its rocky aftermath. As more research and resources are invested in this area, I hope that we witness a positive shift in the lives of incarcerated individuals and a reduction in recidivism rates. By leveraging the power of virtual reality to foster personal growth and emotional healing, we can move towards a more compassionate and effective criminal justice system that prioritizes rehabilitation and second chances. Doesn’t that sound like a win for everybody?

Enjoy your Sunday morning beverage. I’m looking at deer and a morning fire pit and listening to birds sing and seeing a little sunlight glinting off of a mountain lake. Wouldn’t it be nice to share that with someone who’s waking up in a concrete room with no window? Just a little food for thought…

Tallyho!