Additional barriers to access to labour market for prisoners due to digital isolation

Abstract

Digital communication and social networks have become crucial elements in socialization. The deprivation of freedom for people in prison, is characterized not only by physical isolation, but also by a digital isolation. A sense of orphan hood or deprivation of communication appears, especially significant for “digital natives”, who are also the youngest part of the prison population. Through the collection of opinions of inmates of all prisons in the region of Galicia (northwest Spain), it has been found that in addition to digital isolation, the possibilities of staying up-to-date in terms of finding a job are reduced due to the loss of “digital skills”.