The Digital Divide and Higher Education in Prison Programs: An Exploration of Instructor Experiences

• In Event: Experiences and Perceptions of the Prison Environment Among Non-Custodial Staff

Abstract

From daily tasks such as communicating with friends and family, to larger interactions with the institutions of government, welfare, employment, education, health, and finance, the digitization of society has been growing at a rapid pace. As a result, the divide between those who have the resources to keep up with the digitization of society has continued to widen, consequently reinforcing the social inequalities for racial and ethnic minorities, those with low levels of socioeconomic mobility, and those incarcerated in correctional facilities. The current study utilizes a semi-structured qualitative interview approach (n=41) to understand whether and how the technological shift in modern education has transformed higher education in prisons. Results detailing the specific challenges and disruptions faced by higher education in prison programs related to incarcerated student access to technology and modifications by programs as a result of the increase in online learning will be discussed.

Author

• Ashley M. Appleby, Rutgers University, Newark