Imprisoned in an analogue bubble in digital society: Re/integration work in Norwegian high security prisons

Abstract

This article explores how the rise of the digital society affects re/integration work in prisons. In this context, we examine how employees involved in this work handle the disparity between the almost entirely analogue world of prison and the digital welfare state in their re/integration efforts. The study draws on interviews with employees in Norwegian correctional services in and outside of prisons, and municipal welfare services, as well as men currently serving or having previously served a sentence in Norwegian high security prisons. We employ thematic analysis of the interviews, aligning them with the theoretical framework of street-level bureaucracy. Our main findings are that the rise of the digital society challenges re/integration efforts and increases the workload of prison employees. Compensating for incarcerated persons’ lack of digital access requires time, commitment and technical skills, and depends on individual employees’ discretion, leading to inconsistency in the provision of services.