Conceptualising Digital Healthcare Access in Prisons

• In Event: PWG - Technology and digital transformation in the justice system

Abstract

Access to healthcare is a fundamental right, yet its provision within the prison system remains challenging despite the high healthcare needs of people in prison. This paper seeks to conceptualize the intersection of access to healthcare and punishment, drawing on interviews with key policy actors involved in prison healthcare in Scotland.
Prisons globally have seen an increasing reliance on digital technologies to organize prison life and access services. Within prison healthcare, there has been a growing use of technologies such as telemedicine to improve access to healthcare. These innovations have the potential to improve access by overcoming logistical and security barriers associated with in-person services. However, they also raise concerns about digital literacy and wider inequalities, and the extent to which digital solutions can address the broader structural issues limiting healthcare access in prisons.
By applying frameworks from criminology and health studies, this paper critically examines the Scottish case and its broader implications. In doing so, it contributes to scholarly discussions on health inequalities, digital healthcare, penal policy, and the state’s responsibility to ensure equitable healthcare access for all.

Author

• Katrina Morrison, Edinburgh Napier University