Virtual Reality is Being Used in Prisons to Aid Inmates in Solitary Confinement
U.S. prisoners are being given virtual reality (VR) headsets to help them deal with solitary confinement.
California prisons have introduced a VR program to alleviate the severe psychological effects of solitary confinement, according to a report by The Guardian.
Developed by the non-profit organization Creative Acts, the initiative offers inmates immersive experiences that simulate various environments, from bustling city streets to serene natural landscapes.
Participants engage in these VR sessions for four hours daily over a week, providing a temporary escape from their confined settings.
The Guardian reports that at Corcoran State Prison in Kings County, California, incarcerated individuals are taken from their cramped 6ft by 11ft cells — where some have spent weeks — and secured to a metal seat inside a “therapeutic module,” a cage barely larger than a phone booth.
From there, Creative Acts volunteers place Meta’s Oculus headsets on them, offering a virtual escape with experiences like a rickshaw ride through Thailand or a leisurely walk through the streets of Paris.
The program is particularly focused on inmates in solitary confinement, where prolonged isolation can lead to significant mental health issues. Research indicates that even short periods in solitary can cause lasting psychological damage, exacerbating existing mental illnesses.
By offering VR experiences, the program aims to mitigate these adverse effects, providing inmates with a semblance of normalcy and connection to the outside world.
“I was looking for something that would bring the outside world inside,” Sabra Williams, Creative Acts founder, tells The Guardian. “I heard that VR works on your brain as if you’ve had the experience. It seemed like an ideal tool.”
However, the use of the technology in prisons remains controversial. Some critics argue that providing VR experiences to individuals in solitary confinement might serve as a superficial remedy, potentially normalizing or perpetuating the use of isolation in prisons. However, Creative Acts founder Williams believes the benefits to the incarcerated individuals outweigh these concerns.
“Anything can be used to cause harm, [and] people will always make money off of anything that goes into prisons, so the benefits for the people inside, to me, outweigh the issues,” Williams says.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
