Article | Open Access
Digital Advocacy Behind Bars: Social Workers’ Perspective on Digital Inclusion and Reintegration in Lithuania
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Abstract: This article examines social workers’ experiences, perceptions, and understanding of the role of digital advocacy in the rehabilitation and reintegration process of incarcerated people. The current study, located in Lithuania, is based on three focus group discussions with 15 social workers working at local prisons and NGOs. The research reveals that people in prison experience limited access to digital technologies, including the internet, mobile phones, and even TV, due to strict institutional regulations. Social workers reflect on the needs of people in prison for digital literacy, self‐efficacy, and advocacy to counteract stigma and to promote a more nuanced understanding of incarceration. Public prejudices and media stigmatisation reinforce social exclusion, while proactive digital advocacy could contribute to the humanization process and community acceptance of individuals with justice system involvement. Based on the social workers’ voices, this article addresses digital advocacy and digital literacy as a shifting paradigm in prison‐based social work, which requires the balancing of digital provisions and risk management on the individual, professional, and institutional levels.
Keywords: digital advocacy; digital and social inclusion; incarceration; prison; prison social workers; rehabilitation; reintegration
Published:
Issue:
Vol 14 (2026): Digital Inclusion During and After Incarceration: A Global Perspective (In Progress)
© Natalija Mažeikienė, Inesa Bunevičienė, Kristina Juraitė, Dovilė Skužinskaitė. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits any use, distribution, and reproduction of the work without further permission provided the original author(s) and source are credited.