A Digital Lifeline: The Impact of Digital and Physical Infrastructure of Danish Prisons on Inmates’ Reform

Prison population and digital participation can be a controversial topic. However, inmates that genuinely try to be reformed are rarely considered by the public in this debate. In Denmark the prison system has been singled out for the exemplary humane treatment of inmates and the focus on rehabilitation. Yet, despite the efforts for meaningful reform, digital infrastructure is not yet considered a crucial aspect of the reform process. In this paper, we have conducted interviews with 19 people: inmates, prison personnel and NGO representatives, and have carried out fieldwork in the Storstrøm and Nyborg closed prisons of Denmark. Based on this dataset, we have examined the current digital infrastructure of the prisons, showcased the prison teachers’ work as infrastructural bricolage for the utilization of the digital infrastructure, and presented the relationship of the digital infrastructure with the physical and with security. Using the insights from this work we aspire to set the premise for future research towards a more purposeful prison reform.