Virtual reality is being used in prisons to help individuals in solitary confinement process emotions triggered by daily life and travel scenes through art exercises.
Participants in the program experience VR scenes for four hours daily, processing emotions through theater tactics, poetry, and painting.
The program aims to stir up triggers and trauma through VR, allowing individuals to transform their emotions through art.
VR scenes include everyday life experiences and adventures like traveling to Paris, with a focus on emotional processing.
The organization behind the program, Creative Acts, utilizes the arts as a resource for behavioral change within the prison system.
The use of VR in prisons aims to provide tools for emotional awareness and coping mechanisms for incarcerated individuals.
By immersing individuals in virtual experiences, the program helps them recognize triggers from past traumatic experiences and change their behaviors.
Reports show a significant reduction in infractions in solitary confinement participants after VR workshops, leading to positive behavioral changes.
Though introducing technology in prisons raises concerns, the VR program in California prisons has shown transformative effects on incarcerated individuals.
Participants have reported building connections, processing emotions, and feeling more confident as a result of the VR program, leading to behavioral changes and personal growth.