Introduction
There
is an increasing awareness to successfully rehabilitate and reintegrate ex-offenders into Singapore’s
society. For example, the Yellow Ribbon Project aims to improve the
effectiveness of rehabilitation and reintegration programmes through the
combined efforts of community and government organizations, such as Singapore
Prison Service. However, these programmes are insufficient to help ex-offenders
overcome what is known as the digital divide. Digital divide is defined as “ the differing amount of information between those who have
access to the Internet…and those who do not have access” (Internet World
Stats, 2014). Digital divide, in the context of ex-offenders, refer to their
access to the internet, especially social media. According to Vogel (2008)
prison settings restrain the inmates’ access to a myriad of Information and
communications technology (ICTs), such as smart phones or internet access, for
both security and safety reasons. As a result, prison inmates, after being
released, often suffer from digital illiteracy, which refers to “the inability
to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create,
and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills”
(Visser, 2012). For example, an ex-offender may not know how to use google
search or Facebook after being release from prison due to long term
incarceration. The idea of a virtual campus, as adapted from the Ministry of
Justice United Kingdom, is thus proposed to educate offenders on effective use
of social media as well as to provide advanced training courses and
employability skills because ex-offenders in Singapore face poor assimilation
in our techonlogically-driven society upon release due to their lack of
internet access and social media during incarceration.
Identification and
description of the problem
Limited
access to the internet, especially social media, will contribute to a host of
problems that would impede reintegration of ex-offenders into society.
One
problem resulting from this limited access to the internet reduces employment
opportunities for ex-offenders. Firstly, this lack of access as a result of
long-term incarceration might impede ex-offenders from utilizing online
technologies, such as social networking sites, effectively to connect with
potential employers. From the business firm American Technology Research Inc,
an expert on business postulated that an increasing number of entrepeneurs use
Skype as one of their primary means to conduct interviews and facilitate
business communication (Lin, 2006). One might foresee the ex-offenders’
challenge of seeking employment through the use social networking sites. For
example, an ex-offender may find it perplexing to attend a job interview via
Skype in Singapore.
Secondly,
ex-offenders may find difficulty in working for corporations that place great
emphasis on the use of modern technologies. Various companies and organizations
are increasingly adopting modern technologies for organizational purposes, such
as staff employment or company management. In an article by eLearning industry,
corporations report that elearning is one of the top training methods used to
train both employers and employees in managing corporations (eLearning
Industry, 2014). Ex-offenders, upon release from long-term incarceration, might
find it difficult to cope with the concept of eLearning as they have not learnt
about it during imprisonment.
Finally,
technology can evolve significantly during the period when offenders are
serving their sentence prior to release. As technology becomes more
sophisticated, ex-offenders may not be sufficiently proficient to acquire the
necessary skills needed to master certain ICTs. In the past, we could only
communicate with others over long distances through mobile phones. Presently,
our computers are equipped with the technology to make calls or even host
conference video calls with many people at once. The nature of technology may
increasingly become complex and ex-offenders find difficulty in learning these
technologies upon release. As a result, ex-offenders may experience further
inequality upon release. This inequality may result in feelings of isolation
accompanied by feelings of low self-worth and frustration which lead to poor
reintegration into society and thus, increase the likelihood of re-offending (Willis
& Grace, 2009). As such, this poor reintegration into society may increase
the likelihood of recidivism amongst ex-offenders.
Solution
A
solution to bridge the digital divide between ex-offenders and society is the
implementation of a Virtual Campus (VC) within correctional settings. The VC is
a “safe, web-based IT platform that aims to provide education, training and
employment opportunities” (Kendall & Hughes, 2011) for offenders under
incarceration, so that they can better reintegrate into our
technologically-driven society upon release. To apply the idea of VC in
Singapore, one approach is the provision of employment skills training to
current offenders. For example, the VC can provide offenders opportunities to
attend various courses taught by an online tutor, such as data entry workshops provided
by G-TEC computer education centre. Upon
completion of these courses, offenders can be taught to create online resumes
to document these milestones. Upon release, this resume will continue to follow
these offenders through prison into the local community. To improve on the VC,
the idea of a secured social media and networking outlet should be implemented.
Social networking tools, such as Facebook or Skype, can be taught to offenders
so as to improve their ease of reintegration into society upon release. The VC
helps promote active interaction amongst offenders. For example, offenders
would have to write out workings while completing the workshops. Also, the VC
promotes continuing support to offenders through community organizations. To
elaborate, the workshops attended by offenders within VC are facilitated by
external organizations, such as G-TEC computer education centre. Upon release
from incarceration, these offenders can then continue their learning or even
acquire employment opportunities with these organizations (Kendall & Hughes,
2011). In addition, VC may even include diploma and certificate courses for
offenders to complete during incarceration so that they will be better prepared
for a literate workforce upon release.
In
conclusion, the suggestion of a VC to help facilitate ease of reintegration of
ex-offenders into the local community is important. Ex-offenders face a myriad
of challenges upon release, such as stigmatization from the community as well
as the lack of employment opportunities which may impede their reintegration
into society. Therefore, providing the necessary skills to ex-offenders serves
as an essential safeguard for helping them integrate into society as well as
reduces the likelihood of these ex-offenders reoffending.
Reference
eLearning
Industry. (2014). Top 10 e-learning statistics that you need to know. Retrieved
from http://elearningindustry.com/top-10-e-learning-statistics-for-2014-you-need-to-know
G-TEC
Education Computer Centre. (2014). Diploma and certificate courses. In Home. Retrieved from http://gteceducation.com.sg/site/diploma_certification
Grace, R. C.,
& Willis, G. M. (2009). Assessment of community reintegration planning for
sex offenders. Criminal Justice and
Behavior, 36(5), 494-512.
Internet
World Stats. (2014). The digital divide, ICT and the 50 x 15 initiative.
Retrieved from http://www.internetworldstats.com/links10.htm
Kendall, A.,
& Hughes, J. (2011). The Alliance for digital incluson. In Working with the virtual campus action
research ‘champions’ programme. Retrieved
from https://www.wlv.ac.uk/pdf/sed-res-hughes-workingwithvirtualcampus.pdf
Lin, A.
(2006). Business technology statistics. Entrepreneur.
Retrieved fromhttp://www.entrepreneur.com/article/81966.
Visser, M.
(2012). What is digital literacy. In
Digital Literacy Definition. Retrieved from http://connect.ala.org/node/181197
Yellow Ribbon
Project Singapore. (2014). Who we are. In
About Us. Retrieved from http://www.yellowribbon.org.sg/about-us/yellow-ribbon-singapore.html
http://gteceducation.com.sg/site/officeskills_main
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