Editorial | Prisoners online may adjust to life outside

Imprisonment is supposed to be punishment for wrongdoing that deprives offenders of the freedoms of life on the outside. A plan under study by Hong Kong’s prison authority to provide all inmates with a tablet computer for a range of activities, from educational to emailing family, friends and lawyers, might therefore seem to defeat its purpose. But there is more to jail than just locking up offenders. Enlightened thinking on crime and punishment has long placed emphasis on rehabilitation, and that the ultimate test of a corrections system is the rate of reoffending which sees an ex-prisoner going full circle back into jail. Connectivity with the society into which inmates will be released is arguably positive for rehabilitation.

Apart from the cost to society of repeated incarceration and legal processes, recidivism indicates a failure of rehabilitation. In that respect, the city has done relatively well in the past decade or so in reducing the percentage of the reoffending rate within two years of release from the mid 30s to mid 20s, compared with nearly 70 per cent within three years in the United States and 20 per cent in Norway. Under the idea being studied by the Correctional Services Department, inmates could use the devices for access to e-learning, e-books, radio programmes and entertainment to prepare for life in a technological age. It makes sense. Prisoners re-enter a connected world. Long periods inside could span a generation of technology.

Part of the “smart prison” modernisation project, the idea has been backed by a prisoners’ rights concern group and a lawmaker for its potential for easing the integration of inmates into the community after release. Currently prisoners can only read books, newspapers and magazines, listen to radio, watch television or write letters during their leisure time. Only those on learning courses can log into computers, which are not connected to the internet. Lawmaker James To Kun-sun said the department’s move kept pace with prison systems around the world. Family encouragement was crucial to push prisoners not to reoffend.

Provided there is a secure network and close monitoring to prevent misuse or abuse of the devices, prison connectivity has a secure place in strategies for reintegration into the community.