The Case for Using the Intersectional Digital Rehabilitation Model in Reentry Research

• In Event: They Not Like Us (Yet): The Importance of Intersectional Considerations in Reentry

Abstract

Objective. The extant reentry research pays little attention to how offline inequalities and reentry barriers intersect with digital inequalities during the reentry, and as a result, our knowledge of how returning citizens are both socially and digital excluded remains limited. Consequently, the current study introduces the Intersectional Digital Rehabilitation Model as a framework that can be used to explore returning citizens’ experiences with offline and online exclusion. Methods. Using data from 73 semi-structured interviews with Black returning citizens, the current study uses the Intersectional Digital Rehabilitation Model as a framework to interpret their experiences with inclusion and exclusion prior to and after incarceration as well as in the online world. Findings. The findings demonstrate that Black returning citizens’ exclusion starts early in their life and continues as they become entangled in the criminal legal system, move into reentry, and engage with the online world. Thus, they are simultaneously experiencing social and digital exclusion. Conclusion. Findings suggest that the Intersectional Digital Rehabilitation Model is a strong framework for exploring social and digital exclusion across contexts, and other researchers may find utility in using the model to explore other returning citizens’ experiences.

Author

• Kaelyn Sanders, Arizona State University