Reintegration organizations receive grants to close technology gap for prisoners

Juan Acosta, 36, left Sanford Correctional Center on June 15 after serving about 17 years in state prison. He went to Walmart that day and bought an Android phone — one of his first tasks after his release.

But Acosta said holding the “flat-screen phone” in his hand felt strange and overwhelming. He didn’t know how to use it. Not how to make calls, save contacts, send emails or download apps.

The technological landscape he encountered after his release was a dramatic change from the Motorola Razr flip phone he had been using in 2007, before he went to prison. It was also a jarring transition from the limited technological environment of prison, where he had no access to the internet or even an email address.

During his first few weeks out of prison, he learned how vital his phone and other technology are to rebuilding his life and functioning in the community: from communicating with friends and family to searching for and applying for jobs, scheduling doctor appointments, and finding community resources.

“This is really the lifeblood of the world,” Acosta said.

“When I first got out of prison, it was really overwhelming for me because everything was happening so fast,” he said. “Honestly, not only was I afraid of the phone, but even my fiancée’s car had, like, 80-plus buttons.”

Many other people leaving prison, particularly those who have been in prison for many years or are older, face a similar shock and lack of preparation for dealing with technology. That’s what Brian Scott, who served more than 20 years in prison, experienced when he was released in 2021.

When Scott received a smartphone a few days after his release, it was his first experience with a touchscreen, and it was a big adjustment. He entered prison in 2001 (the first iPhone came out in 2007) and left before the NC Department of Adult Corrections began issuing tablets to every inmate.

“When I first went out and picked up my cell phone, I took about 50 accidental screenshots in my first week,” Scott said. “The first time it rang, I didn’t even know how to answer the phone.

“You feel stupid.”

Two reintegration organizations that work with people recently released from prison received Digital Champion grants from the North Carolina Department of Information Technology in June. They aim to close this gap by providing devices and digital skills training.

Operation Gateway, based in western North Carolina, received $463,325 and OurJourney, based in Rocky Mount, received $400,000.

The funding was a small portion of grants from the Ministry of Information Technology provided to help certain populations, including those in conflict with the law, gain technology literacy.

“We really believe that merging technology with reentry is going to have a positive impact on reducing overall recidivism,” said Scott, who runs OurJourney, the nonprofit he founded a year after his release from prison. “It’s going to give people hope, and it’s going to give them immediate access to others who can help them — and that’s something that’s exciting.”

Facilitating better re-entry outcomes

State leaders are increasingly focused on improving reentry support for former prisoners, so their transition back into the community is smoother and more successful. A key driver of the push is Gov. Roy Cooper’s Executive Order No. 303, a January directive that calls for a “whole-of-government” approach to boosting reentry services for former prisoners in North Carolina.

Ninety-five percent of North Carolina’s prison inmates will one day return home—about 18,000 this year alone. A lack of the essential digital skills needed to navigate technology in society—or even access the devices—is one of the barriers people face in adjusting to life in the community.

North Carolina’s Digital Equity Plan, released in February, aims to expand digital access across the state.

“For recently incarcerated people returning to a world where daily life requires a smartphone and digital literacy, a lack of digital equality can truly mean the difference between success and failure,” the report said.

Brent Bailey, coordinator of the Buncombe County Reentry Council, who works with people coming out of prison every day, agrees with that assessment.

“We’ve gotten to the point where you can’t function in society for the most part without a cell phone,” Bailey said. “You’ve got two hands, two feet, and a cell phone.”

Bailey said the digital skills of the people he works with when they leave prison vary. Not knowing how to use technology or not being comfortable with it is a barrier to success.

Smart investment

Sara Nichols, energy and economic development program manager at Land of Sky Regional Council in western North Carolina, thinks a lot about digital inclusion and the best strategies to close the digital divide.

She said investing money in devices and digital skills training for ex-offenders is a smart investment as it could be the key to leading people to a better future.

One example stands out to Nichols: her $200 investment to buy a laptop for a former inmate.

The woman used the laptop to complete a certification that allowed her to work in health care. That financial stability allowed her to get her children back and move into an apartment.

“I’ve been in government a long time and I’ve spent a lot of money on a lot of things,” Nichols said. “$200 to set someone up for success is a very small price to pay.

“That was a very cheap investment to keep someone from going back to prison and to turn her life around.”

Connecting to success

Philip Cooper, who leads Operation Gateway, said access to phones is crucial to the reentry process. Former prisoners recognize this, he said, which is why it’s high on their list of priorities — often one of the first things they spend money on.

“People who don’t have cell phones are unreachable,” Cooper said. “They have trouble connecting with their probation officer. They have trouble building community. Some of them stay incarcerated and unreachable. Now they’re isolated and before you know it, they’re back to their old lives.”

Cooper said the new grant funding will allow Operation Gateway to reach more people with personal devices. Operation Gateway will also use the funding to place desktop computers in transitional housing in western North Carolina. These computers could have a big impact because they will be in high traffic and the larger screen size could make tasks like building resumes and getting certifications easier for former inmates, he said.

Cooper added that the tech distribution will be accompanied by skills training, such as classes to help people use their devices. He also hopes that the classes can create a community of people who won’t feel judged as they mess around with their high-tech devices alongside their peers.

OurJourney will also reach new people with phones. For two years, the re-entry organization has partnered with the Department of Adult Corrections to provide its “first aid re-entry kits” to people leaving participating prisons. Designed and assembled by former inmates, the kits include a re-entry booklet, county-specific re-entry resource guide, DMV driver’s handbook, T-shirt and gift card to a local restaurant that’s good for at least two meals.

If available, the kits also contain the drug naloxone, which is an opioid reversal agent. This is a reference to the reality that people leaving prison are 40 times more likely to die from an overdose in the first two weeks after release than the general population.

The new grant will allow OurJourney to also provide an Android phone and charger in the kits from a pilot location at the prison. The phones will come preloaded with the MyJourney reentry app, which is designed to help people navigate the reentry process, including some technology tutorials. The app is in the final stages of development, and Scott said he plans to make it available for download later this year.

Additionally, OurJourney will launch a helpline staffed by former inmates to walk people through technology challenges, such as how to set up a Gmail account or how to take a photo with your camera. Scott said the staffing choices are intentional.

“They’ve been there and they know how frustrating it can be trying to learn,” he said.

Once former inmates learned to use smartphones and other devices, Scott and Cooper said, they’ve seen new possibilities open up. People are relying on the devices to search for and apply for jobs, much to the surprise — and sometimes dismay — of many who leave prison thinking they can still walk into workplaces and apply in person on a paper application. They’re attending recovery meetings, support groups, virtual health and therapy appointments and more on these devices. They’re earning certifications, taking classes and searching for housing options.

Acosta, who was released from prison just over a month ago, said he wishes he had received more technology training in prison before his release so his transition into the tech-dominated society outside wouldn’t have been so drastic.

Fortunately, friends, family and former inmates have shown him how to do it and he is slowly starting to feel more comfortable.

“I’m still adapting,” Acosta said. “It’s not easy, but I’m not shying away from the challenge.”

This article originally appeared on North Carolina Health News and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.