Tablets for Transformation: Exploring the Association between Tablet Use and In-Prison and Post-Release Outcomes

• In Event: Innovations in Reentry: Findings from an Evaluation of the Role of Technology in Reentry Planning

Abstract

The widespread implementation of tablets in correctional facilities is driven, in part, by the perception that they improve in-prison behavior by keeping people engaged in constructive activities. In addition, by facilitating contact with family members and providing educational and rehabilitative content during incarceration, they could plausibly improve post-release outcomes for those who use them for these purposes. However, very little rigorous research has explored the association between tablet use and in-prison or post-release outcomes. This presentation leverages the statewide rollout of ViaPath tablets throughout North Carolina, in which educational and reentry planning content is provided free on the tablets to all people who are incarcerated in an NC DAC facility. Detailed administrative data provided by ViaPath and NC DAC are used to explore the association between tablet use for educational and communication purposes (including time spent on these features and course completion) and in-prison behavior (including disciplinary infractions) on a large, statewide sample of approximately 30,000 people. In addition, for sample members who were released during the study follow-up period, we assess the association between in-prison tablet use and post-release outcomes (primarily reincarceration). Implications for correctional policy are discussed.

Authors

• Samuel Scaggs, RTI International

• Jamie Newsome, RTI International