New VR System Has Prisoners Practicing Life Beyond Bars

Six Colorado inmates sentenced to decades in prison as teenagers in the ’80s and ’90s thought they would never get out. During their 20-plus years behind bars, technology has changed the outside world dramatically.

The criminal justice system has changed, too, becoming more forgiving of people who commit crimes as juveniles. Since 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court has slowly chipped away at harsh, mandatory sentences for kids, ultimately finding in 2012 that it’s unconstitutional to sentence juveniles to life without parole.

This year, Colorado started an early-release program for people convicted as juveniles who have already served 20 years of their sentences. To get ready for life on the outside, inmates in the three-year program use virtual reality to prepare for stressful situations and practice skills they never learned as teens, like doing laundry and grocery shopping.

VICE News visited the medium-security Fremont Correctional Facility as they used VR for the first time.

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[CometCorner]

It made me sad seeing how surprised they were about some things like self checkout. Just imagine being that disassociated where little things like that are amazing.

[definitelyNY]

“I shouldn’t be in a bar anyway, I’m that guy deserves a 2nd chance just for that line

[__Andrew]

Im glad that our justice system is swinging back towards reform rather than punishment.

[SKSC-bxpf]

“And the store trusts the people like that?”
😭

[Hakeem]

It's these types of sentences without proper rehabilitation and acclimation that leads to people resorting back to crime and heading back to prison. It's a very hard cycle to break out of.

[uncopyrightedu]

Imagine being locked up for years and one day they bring in virtual reality



To do laundry..

[goldenrule]

Thats the oldest looking 17 yr old ever. Sheesh he looked 40

[neenavaahsan]

This video made me cry . I was born in 1993 . I visualized how the world was then and how it is right now. The inmates don’t even know what the world is up to or what have changed . Being locked down since 90’s is the side that we don’t remember or notice while we talk bout those “ 90’s golden days .” I guess this is how the world runs where one is thinking about the golden days he left behind and one is thinking about how the world looks like after having no view of the world for the past quarter century .

[yungaut]

“Using virtual reality to practice being on the outside”
*standing on the edge of a building*

[novabxnynova]

Hell yeah Colorado, doing something first again and setting an example to other states. Hope these men do well.

[evo]

This is amazing. I remember back in 2013 and 2014 hearing people say that VR is going to be an amazing training device for any field or activity that is physical.

VR could be applied to so many things. Imagine in sports after practice, you can put on a headset in VR and memorize plays by interacting with the environment. Or an engineer creating something in VR before making it in real life. Or even little things like how to change a car battery... so many possibilities.

[mikelee]

The look on his face and how he licked his lips when he said the store trust people

[etherealone]

All long timers should have access to this a few times a week just to go for a walk or other activity. It would elevate moods and result in more productive prisoners. Also, it gives hope and focus to them. Once a prisoner loses focus and hope there is no reason to behave anymore.

[iamjuniorwizkid]

Sad thing they were all teenagers serving this amount of time.

[davidsmith]

Crazy that they have to attend a 3 year program, just to be considered

[arbitr]

0:51 you can't seriously be telling me thats a 17 year olds mug shot?

[mannys]

I think this is fantastic!!! One of the hardest things I've seen was the shell shock of modern society for people that have been incarcerated for extended periods of time... I met a man once that saw a smart phone for the first time and began crying because he didn't know what it was or how it works... and the lvl of confusion was so heartbreaking I'll never forget! Sadly he didn't get accustomed to his "new world" and ended up going back to jail... It's a shame that prisons are treated like a business and not a place for rehabilitation

[michaelmercado]

what a brilliant idea. I wish my uncle had access to this when he got out of prison because after a couple of decades of being locked up and then just being released. the strange new world was to much for him and ended up taking his own life. this VR idea is a great way for prisoners to see and acclimate to the new world before actually going out into it. I think it would do nicely as a half-way house idea for prisoners that are going to be released soon.

[chroniccrypto]

I was living in Texas and riding a greyhound from Corpus Christi to Dallas and we picked up a newly released inmate in San Antonio. This was around 2012/2013. He was in prison for over 40 years, and he got on the bus heading to Dallas with us and he was freaking out. He never saw a cell phone before, let alone one that can go online or even what the internet was. He was asking so many questions and tearing up that he missed so much. I was younger at the time 22-23yo and wasn't as open to conversing with everyone like I am now at 30yo and I regret not interviewing him for the rest of the bus ride to there same city where we both lived and where he was going to meet family. Here was an older African American man in his 60s or so so I understand what these people go through. Everyone deserves a second chance to a point. Some people don't and are just animals ans need to be put down like a rabid dog. Others just made stupid mistakes. Now I live in Colorado and I'm proud of my state doing this. I've lived all over the country and Colorado is by far the best state in the country hands down.

[deepbyte]

Even outside prison everytime they sleep or alone sometimes those memories of nightmares of wrong things that have been done keeps coming back with full of regrets..Being free from prison after serving behind bars for years isnt the freedom prisoners wanted but acceptance of apology and being forgived is the real freedom for them selves.