Phoning behind bars. An exploratory study into in-cell telephony
Information and communication technologies have begun to enter into the penitentiary systems, adding a digital dimension to the detention experience (Maes et al., 2019). For some time now, prisoners in Belgium have access to television, radio and telephony after payment (Maes, 2009). Newly opened prisons even run a digital platform for prisoners, called PrisonCloud, which, alongside many other functions, allows prisoners to make telephone calls from within their cells (Robberechts & Beyens, 2020). From 2019 on, in-cell telephony also became available in the majority of other prisons.
This contribution describes how prisoners’ access to and use of digital technologies affect living and
working in prison. We focus on the experiences of prisoners and prison officers and on the extent to
which the shift from telephony on the landings to in-cell telephony impacts their experiences. Based
on in-depth interviews with prisoners and prison officers in three prisons with and without in-cell
telephony, the (dis)advantages of in-cell telephony and the impact on the tasks of prison officers and the contacts between staff and prisoners will be discussed.