US prisons are introducing virtual reality technology to help prisoners who have been in solitary confinement for long periods adapt to their new environment. The Guardian reports that the program is aimed at easing the process of prisoners' return to society.
The program will take place in the common areas of correctional facilities. There, special metal cages are installed and chairs are placed inside. Prisoners are placed in these cages and given virtual reality devices adapted to the cramped conditions.
During the seven-day intensive program, prisoners will experience different scenes for four hours each day. They will be shown scenes of everyday life, as well as adventures such as a trip to Paris or paragliding.
Photo: The Guardian
At the end of the day, participants are asked to express their feelings through theater, poetry or drawing.
“VR (virtual reality) evokes trauma and emotion — and then the art transforms,” explained Sabra Williams, founder of Creative Acts, the program’s organizer.
Creative Acts uses art to change behavior and prepare prisoners for release. It runs VR programs at Valley State Prison, Kern Valley Prison, Corcoran State Prison and the Central California Women’s Institution.
Williams came up with the idea of introducing virtual reality to prisons five years ago. After founding Creative Acts in 2018, he said he was tired of seeing people who had been in prison for years feel like they had landed on a different planet when they were released.
Photo: The Guardian
“The world is always changing, and we often forget about it,” says Creative Acts program coordinator Star Van Pool, who spent 17 years in prison.
The organization spent a year sourcing 20 headsets and two Cleanbox disinfection devices for the VR trial. It also partnered with Unincarcerated Productions to create VR scenes that reflect the fears and concerns that prisoners face during their release. In these scenes, prisoners can experience situations they will face on their release day – interacting with people, going to meetings and more.
Photo: The Guardian
Williams stressed that the program is not aimed at treating or diagnosing. Its goal is to give prisoners the opportunity to understand and understand their feelings, even in a repressive environment.
During a VR experience, Daniel Garcia, who is being held at Valley State Prison, experienced a scene in which a man bumped into him on a busy street in Los Angeles. Although he was initially nervous, after breathing exercises, while still wearing the VR headset, he was able to calmly think about how such conflicts could be resolved peacefully.
Photo: The Guardian
"When most of us go to prison, we don't understand the triggers because of traumatic experiences. VR has helped us identify them," Garcia says.
Photo: The Guardian
Creative Acts staff say that since the program began, there have been significant changes in prisons. For example, the number of offenses among prisoners held in solitary confinement has decreased. At Corcoran State Prison, the number of infractions among such inmates dropped from 735 before the VR session to just one after the program.
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