‘Cavemen in an Era of Speed‐of‐Light Technology’: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Communication within Prisons

Abstract

Abstract: Many prisoners believe that the restricted access they have to computer‐mediated communication (CMC) technologies and, in particular, the almost total absence of computers and Internet access in prisons is a form of censure that renders them second‐class citizens in the Information Age. This article examines contemporary rationales and historical precedents for denying prisoners the means to communicate (both with each other and with those outside the prison) and argues that the prevention of communication, a pivotal feature of the Victorian and Edwardian prison regime, represents a significant continuity in the experience of prison life in the 21st Century.