Virtual Reality and the Criminal Justice System

Exploring the Possibilities for Correctional Rehabilitation

Bobbie Ticknor

Virtual Reality (VR) is becoming a popular technology for gaming and entertainment; however, researchers and scientists have used the technology for decades to develop real world solutions. The criminal justice system has used VR primarily for weapons training and forensic investigation but its uses are expanding. This book discusses how the technology can be used for correctional rehabilitation. Specifically, the book explores how cognitive behavior therapy, a widely used therapeutic technique used to treat offenders, can be improved using VR. Offenders can learn new skills, role play, and practice what they’ve learned in a safe, controlled environment that mimics situations they may find when back in the community. Additionally, those without access to services can use the technology to attend virtual groups offered by trained facilitators no matter where they live. With current limitations on resources, VR can offer criminal justice practitioners another option for offender rehabilitation.

Lexington Books

Pages: 102 • Trim: 6¼ x 9½

978-1-4985-3427-7 • Hardback • February 2018 • $99.00 • (£76.00)

978-1-4985-3428-4 • eBook • February 2018 • $94.00 • (£72.00)

Subjects: Social Science / Criminology, Computers / Computer Simulation, Computers / Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computers / Virtual Worlds, Psychology / Cognitive Psychology & Cognition

Virtual Reality and the Criminal Justice System

Exploring the Possibilities for Correctional Rehabilitation

Hardback

eBook

Summary

Virtual Reality (VR) is becoming a popular technology for gaming and entertainment; however, researchers and scientists have used the technology for decades to develop real world solutions. The criminal justice system has used VR primarily for weapons training and forensic investigation but its uses are expanding. This book discusses how the technology can be used for correctional rehabilitation. Specifically, the book explores how cognitive behavior therapy, a widely used therapeutic technique used to treat offenders, can be improved using VR. Offenders can learn new skills, role play, and practice what they’ve learned in a safe, controlled environment that mimics situations they may find when back in the community. Additionally, those without access to services can use the technology to attend virtual groups offered by trained facilitators no matter where they live. With current limitations on resources, VR can offer criminal justice practitioners another option for offender rehabilitation.

Details

Lexington Books

Pages: 102 • Trim: 6¼ x 9½

978-1-4985-3427-7 • Hardback • February 2018 • $99.00 • (£76.00)

978-1-4985-3428-4 • eBook • February 2018 • $94.00 • (£72.00)

Subjects: Social Science / Criminology, Computers / Computer Simulation, Computers / Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computers / Virtual Worlds, Psychology / Cognitive Psychology & Cognition

Author

Bobbie Ticknor is assistant professor of criminal justice at Valdosta State University.

Table of Contents

Part 1: What Is Virtual Reality and How Has It Been Used?

Introduction: Defining Virtual Reality
1. Current Uses of Virtual Reality
2. Current Uses of VR in Criminal Justice

Part 2: VR and Correctional Rehabilitation

3. Virtual Reality and Offender Assessment
4. Virtual Reality and Offender Treatment
5. Implementation
Conclusion: Final Considerations

Reviews

This is a timely and important book and should be compulsory reading for both professionals and criminologists working in the field of offender rehabilitation.
— Jean-Louis van Gelder, Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement

This book is a great read for those considering research or just seeking knowledge on the use of virtual reality as a mechanism for behavioral change in the context of correctional rehabilitation.
— Don Cox, board advisor for Virtual Rehab

The technology for creating compelling and emotionally evocative virtual reality experiences that can now be delivered using low-cost consumer equipment has arrived! The growing maturity and availability of VR technology has served to spawn creative explorations into its use for addressing real human problems that go well beyond VR’s popular application in gaming and entertainment. Criminal justice and correctional rehabilitation can now be added to the list along with other pro-social VR efforts in mental health, physical medicine, education, art, and journalism. Ticknor’s overview of how VR can be applied to the very real problem of correctional rehabilitation concisely details a relatively unexplored area where VR makes sense and could have a tangible and meaningful impact on the lives of many. The book provides a basic roadmap for exciting things to come in the field of corrections and will certainly ignite thinking on how VR could be used to take on this important societal challenge.
— Skip Rizzo, University of Southern California