Virtual Reality and Rehabilitation for Justice-Involved Populations

Abstract

In this paper our goal is to examine the history of mass incarceration in the United States and explore Virtual Reality (VR)-based treatments that can address the high rates of drug abuse and mental health disorders within the justice-involved population. In pursuit of a solution to this health crisis, this paper will explore the state of mass incarceration in the U.S. and recent developments in scientific literature surrounding the therapy-based benefits of VR. VR-based exposure therapy, in particular, is proven to be effective in treating patients struggling with trauma and addiction. As alternatives to incarceration become more widely discussed by the general public and more seriously considered by policymakers, these advances in technology may bolster arguments for new, restorative forms of justice. Our goal in examining recent findings in VR in conjunction with the criminal justice system is to demonstrate how to incorporate VR-based therapy in existing rehabilitation programs. These findings also demonstrate how pertinent justice-involved people are to the topic of VR-based therapy due to the population’s high rates of substance abuse disorders and mental illnesses—conditions that often occur at the same time. Finally, this paper will emphasize that VR therapy should only enhance treatment services rather than act as their replacement, and marginalized groups’ privacy and consent must remain protected.