INCJ Newsdesk 2023 – Virtual Reality Assisted Rehabilitation in Finish Prisons

Pia Puolakka of the University of Helsinki and Jenni Kaunomäki, who is a researcher at the Prisoners’ Health Care Unit, and is preparing her thesis for the Helsinki University regarding VR assisted therapy with inmates, will share insights from the Finish use of virtual reality to support rehabilitation in prisons. VR has been used for therapeutical purposes, such as assisting with anxiety management, exposure therapy for phobias, relaxation, self-management, skills training and so on. Pia will outline how the latest pilot with the Finish Prison Healthcare Unit is being used to help young antisocial inmates with aggression and problematic behaviour issues. This session will explore how digital services and online consultation for mental health problems are being developed in Finnish prisons.