iamcr - presentation

Department of Communication and Art, CETAC.MEDIA, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal

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Internet usage in Portuguese Prisional Establishments. Reality or an Utopia? • Daniela Graça · [email protected] • Lídia Oliveira · [email protected]

Internet usage inPortuguese Prisional Establishments.

Reality or an Utopia?


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In which way can access to the Internet by Portuguese inmates become a reality?

Which implications the usage of Internet in Portuguese Prisional Establishments would have in inmates lifes?

Reseach questions


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Inmates in Portuguese Prisional Establishments

Portuguese Prisional System (social workers, teachers, etc.)

Participants/Objects of study


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«the essential of punishment that we, judges, inflict don’t believe it consists in punishing; the essential is aiming to correct, reeducate, “cure“» (Foucault, 1975)

Prison


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«reclusion is “invariable and inevitably an interruption, a reality between parenthesis.”» (Cunha, 2004)

Prison


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«The notion of reintegration is based on the preservation of social bonds, family and marital relations.» (Cunha & Bastos, 2007)

Prison


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«After the Portuguese Revolution in 1974 (April 25th), the inmate started being recognized as a citizen with the same rights as the common citizen, with the same duties and social rights.»

Portuguese Penal Legislation


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« The 265/79 law of August 1st (1979), enunciates in the second article, under the theme “Purposes of the execution” that:

- the execution of penal measures must be oriented toward the inmates reintegration in society, preparing the inmate to, in future, lead his/her life in a responsible and crimeless way.»



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«In the same law, Definition of Execution of Freedom Measures parameters are determined.

“Life in prison should be as similar as life in freedom as it is possible, avoiding the negative consequences of life in prison.”;



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“Execution must, as much as possible, stimulate inmates participation in his/her own social reintegration (…)”»



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«The Technological Plan is a plan of promotion, development and competitive reinforcement of Portugal. The strategy of this plan is based upon three axis: knowledge, technology, and innovation.»

Portuguese Technological Society


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“Evolution of computer and broad band Internet usage in portuguese homes”and “Usage of local and mobile broad band”.Source: Plano Tecnológico e Novas Oportunidades para o Sector, Rui Grilo, 2009.

Portuguese Technological Society


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Why don’t these two “worlds” become one?

Here’s a thought


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And some questions

What would that do for inmates reintegration?

How would it contribute for a crimeless life?

In which way would it benefit Portuguese society?


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The Inmates

Field work


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Inmates sample

Note: Total of 206 participating inmates. (Aveiro inmates questionaries not included due to delay in data treatement.)

26.

0.

18.

28.

28.

Distribution of Inquired Inmates by Prisional Establishment (%)

Porto (#54)

Aveiro (#0)

Leiria (#38)

Coimbra (#57)

Tires (#57)


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Inmates sample

8.

92.

Distribution of Inquired Inmates by Gender (%)

FEMININE

MASCULINE


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Inmates personal profile

27

36

16

10

01

10

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

18to28yearsold 29to39yearsold 40to49yearsold 50to59yearsold 60to69yearsold 70to79yearsold Noanswer

Inmates Distribution by Age (%)


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2

14

19

43

15

5

2

0

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Don't know how to read or write

1st Degree - 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th years, or Old 4th Portuguese Degree

2nd Degree - 5th and 6th years

3º Degree - 7th, 8th e 9th years

High School - 10th, 11th e 12th years

Other Graduation - Profissional Degree Course

University

No answer

Education (%)


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50

14

18

14

3 1

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Single Married Living together Divorced Widower No answer

Marital Status (%)


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5

11

19

25

13

8

5

3

1 2

0 0

2

6

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Living

alone

Living

with 1

person

Living

with 2

people

Living

with 3

people

Living

with 4

people

Living

with 5

people

Living

with 6

people

Living

with 7

people

Living

with 8

people

Living

with 9

people

Living

with 10

people

Living

with 11

people

Living

with 12

people

No

answer

Family Units Dimension (%)


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3

31

25

8

17

4

0,25 1 0,25 0,25 1 0,25

9

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Non

e (0

)

Few (1

to 5

)

Some

(6 to

15)

Man

y (1

6 to

50)

Num

erou

s (5

1 to

99)

Hun

dreds

(mor

e th

an 1

00)

1000

Doe

sn't

know

Kno

wing

man

y peo

ple

Enoug

h

Sever

al

Innu

mer

able

No

answ

er

Friends Network Dimension (%)


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8

11

20

7 9

8

17

14

11

8 7

5 3

1 2

1

4 3

2 2 1 1

2 0

2 0

1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

1 0 0

5

10

15

20

25 1 t

o 6

mo

nth

s

7 m

onth

s t

o 1

year

Mo

re t

han 1

year

Mo

re t

han 2

year

Mo

re t

han 3

year

Mo

re t

han 4

year

Mo

re t

han 5

year

Mo

re t

han 6

year

Mo

re t

han 7

year

Mo

re t

han 8

year

Mo

re t

han 9

year

Mo

re t

han 1

0 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 1

1 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 1

2 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 1

3 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 1

4 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 1

5 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 1

6 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 1

7 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 1

8 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 1

9 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 2

0 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 2

1 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 2

2 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 2

3 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 2

4 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 2

5 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 2

6 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 2

7 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 2

8 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 2

9 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 3

0 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 3

1 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 3

2 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 3

3 y

ear

Mo

re t

han 3

4 y

ear

Reclusion Time Conviction (#)


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41

35

31

20 17

15

7

1

6

2 5

1 1 0 2 2

0 1 0 0 0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1 to

6 m

onth

s

7 m

onth

s to

1 yea

r

Mor

e th

an 1

yea

r

Mor

e th

an 2

yea

r

Mor

e th

an 3

yea

r

Mor

e th

an 4

yea

r

Mor

e th

an 5

yea

r

Mor

e th

an 6

yea

r

Mor

e th

an 7

yea

r

Mor

e th

an 8

yea

r

Mor

e th

an 9

yea

r

Mor

e th

an 1

0 ye

ar

Mor

e th

an 1

1 ye

ar

Mor

e th

an 1

2 ye

ar

Mor

e th

an 1

3 ye

ar

Mor

e th

an 1

4 ye

ar

Mor

e th

an 1

5 ye

ar

Mor

e th

an 1

6 ye

ar

Mor

e th

an 1

7 ye

ar

Mor

e th

an 1

8 ye

ar

Time in Prison (#)


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58

35

6

1

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

This is the first Between 1 and 3

times

4 or more times No answer

Number of Convictions (%)


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Inmates Internet user profile

90.

10.

0.

Knowing Internet (%)

Yes

No

No answer


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20

9

6

11

17

30

7

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Every day,

several times a

day

Every day 3 to 5 times a

week

1 to 2 times a

week

Rarely Never No answer

Internet Usage Frequency (%)


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Note: Question of multiple response.

36

22

12

30

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Leisure Study / Research Professional No answer

Internet Context Usage (%)


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19

11

16

12

7

5

10

3

17

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Talk with friends /

Family / Other

people

Participate in

Social Networks

(hi5, facebook,

twitter, etc.)

Have fun / Watch

videos, pictures,

etc.

Informe myself of

what's

happening in the

world

Look for a job Do services

(payments,

shopping,

subscribing, etc.)

Study / Research Other. Which? No answer

Type of Internet Usage (%)


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Inmates Internet user opinions

59. 18.

23.

Internet in Prison (%)

Possible

Impossible

No answer


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61.

2.

37.


Adjusted

Unadjusted

No answer


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79.

0.

21.


Usefull

Useless

No answer


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22

0

12

18

14

10

7

16

1

0

5

10

15

20

25

Talk

with f

riend

s /

Fam

ily /

Oth

er

peo

ple

Part

icip

ate

in S

ocia

l

Netw

ork

s (hi5

, fa

ceb

oo

k,

twitte

r, e

tc.)

Have f

un /

Watc

h v

ideo

s,

pic

ture

s, etc

.

Info

rme m

yself o

f w

hat'

s

hap

penin

g in t

he w

orld

Lo

ok f

or

a jo

b

Have a

n o

nlin

e jo

b

Do

serv

ices (p

aym

ents

,

sho

pp

ing

, sub

scrib

ing

, etc

.)

Stu

dy /

Researc

h

Oth

er. W

hic

h?

Internet Usage in Prison (%)


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26

24 24 23

2 1

0

It would

improve the

relationship

with my family

It would

improve my

knowledge of

the "outside

world"

It would

increase my

capability to

have a job after

reclusion

It would

improve my

education and

formation

Other. Which? I don't have an

opinion

It wouldn't

change

anything

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Internet Usage in Prison as an Improvement (%)


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The Professionals

Field work


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Prison professionals view

“Internet is important for inmates emotional balance.”

“Having Internet in prisons it’s just a problem of security.”

“Internet it’s essential for education. It’s a gradual process.”

“Access to Internet is crucial for education in prisons.”


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Prison professionals view

“Every prison should have a room with computers where inmates could access the Internet, with no access to certain

websites, limited time of access and contact control.”

“Sooner or later it will become a reality.”

“It only takes will.”


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In a scenario where new technologies occupy a space of which it is not able to abdicate, where technology, globalization and security work as master guides on the construction of sociological and communication reality, it appears necessary to question, analyse, and even reformulate the models of inmates communication with the “exterior world”.

Conclusion


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THANK YOU!

investigation blogdanielagraca.blogs.ua.sapo.pt/

[email protected]

[email protected]

iamcr - presentation

Documents

university of aveiro

internet usage

ldia oliveira

daniela graa

department of communication

campus universitrio

portuguese revolution

internet byportuguese