The Perceived Role of Mass Media Use during Incarceration in the

This article explores the relationship between individuals’ media use during incarceration and their re-entry experience. Previous research suggests that mass media may facilitate the transition from prison to the free world because they can normalise life in the penitentiary and keep prisoners informed about major events and developments in society. The findings of a quantitative study into the media use and reality perceptions of long-term prisoners, and a qualitative study into the re-entry experience and the perceived importance of mass media use during incarceration in the light of this experience, suggest that media are a necessary but insufficient condition for a smooth re-entry.