philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

Department Of Corrections Introduces Virtual Reality Technology To Augment Programming For Incarcerated Parents And Their Children

... With the introduction of VR immersion, participants learn and practice healthy parenting skills in a 360-degree environment. Each VR interaction is guided by a lesson plan and managed by DOC staff, who have the ability to adapt and customize the situations in real time. 

"The overwhelming majority of incarcerated parents will return to their families and communities at the conclusion of their prison sentence, and the DOC is committed to setting them up for success," said Acting Secretary Little. "Practice makes perfect, and we hope role playing with the assistance of virtual avatars will help parents and children see beyond facility walls and build stronger families and safer communities." 

Children do not have to travel to a DOC facility to participate. Community providers Amachi Pittsburgh and Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) in Philadelphia facilitate the virtual reality visits for participating children and offer support services to their families.  ...

"In our work with incarcerated individuals, we know that it is extremely important to have family support, including engagement with children," said Laurie A. Corbin, PHMC managing director for community engagement. "We hope the parent and child will have a fun and educational experience which will provide them with happy memories despite their physical separation from each other."  ...

See the full story here: https://www.media.pa.gov/pages/Corrections_details.aspx?newsid=571