History of the Nairobi Declaration and Computers in Cells

The Nairobi Declaration enshrines the success of the ‘Computers in Cells’ campaign, which aims to allow detainees access to computers within their cells. Telecommunication access provides detainees with stronger connections to their family, legal counsel, counselling services, and education services. Computers, and other forms of telecommunication, are vital towards the rehabilitation of detainees, especially in an ever more digitalised world, where detainees are left without the basic computer skills they need to get a job once their sentence is served. With everything moving online, counselling and education services, which are heavily linked towards lower recidivism rates, are migrating towards digital platforms. The lack of access to computers and telecommunications within prisons leaves detainees more at risk than ever before.

Despite this, government and prison authorities have been slow to act towards the introduction of telecommunications access in prisons. This is due to a focus on security, and a fear of being perceived by the public as “soft” on prisoners. These views have left prisoners in the dark, despite the clear benefits that access to telecommunications would offer detainees, the prison, and society as a whole. There exists an obvious need for the standardisation and proliferation of telecommunication rights for detainees, which would greatly reduce the social, intellectual, and emotional gaps detainees face upon release.

The successful adoption of the Computers in Cells program in New South Wales, Australia, occurred after a robust campaign led by John Dowd, president of the Community Justice Coalition and former leader of the Liberal Party in NSW. The history of the successful start of Computers in Cells in New South Wales is detailed here at the Community Justice Coalition website. Further successes have been seen in Finland through their own ‘Computers in Cells’ equivalent.