‘Smart prisons’ and ‘smart crime’ – The dark side of digitalization

Abstract

This study examines the less visible side of the digitalization of the prison system: how ‘smart prisons’ can become both a tool for security and a source of new risks. Digital transformation – electronic surveillance, digital health systems, artificial intelligence-based solutions – promises more effective control, but at the same time creates attack surfaces that challenge traditional surveillance logic. The study uses domestic and international examples to illustrate cyber security risks, new forms of prohibited communication, the role of recidivism and family relationships after release, and the threats posed by encrypted messaging. The study concludes that the future of the prison service is not a technological race, but a conscious search for balance between security and risk.