54 h. ago Virtual reality in solitary confinement isn’t a Black Mirror episode. It’s happening in California

Creative Acts works to get people out of prison with an unlikely tool reporting a 96% reduction in infractions from participantsOne Monday in July, Samantha Tovar, known as Royal, left her 6ft-by-11ft cell for the first time in three weeks. Correctional officers escorted her to the common area of the Central California Women’s Facility and chained her hands and feet to a metal table, on top of which sat a virtual reality headset. Two and a half years into a five-year prison sentence, Royal was about to see Thailand for the first time.When she first put on the headset, Royal immediately had an aerial view of a cove. Soon after, her view switched to a boat moving fairly fast with buildings on either side of the water. In the boat was a man with a backpack, and it was as if she were sitting beside him. With accompanying meditative music and narration, the four-minute scene took Royal across a crowded Thai market, through ancient ruins, on a tuk-tuk (a three-wheeled rickshaw) and into a...

Politics

54 h. ago ‘An ideal tool’: prisons are using virtual reality to help people in solitary confinement

Participants view scenes of daily life as well as travel adventures – then process the emotions they trigger through artOne Monday in July, Samantha Tovar, known as Royal, left her 6ft-by-11ft cell for the first time in three weeks. Correctional officers escorted her to the common area of the Central California Women’s Facility and chained her hands and feet to a metal table, on top of which sat a virtual reality headset. Two and a half years into a five-year prison sentence, Royal was about to see Thailand for the first time.When she first put on the headset, Royal immediately had an aerial view of a cove. Soon after, her view switched to a boat moving fairly fast with buildings on either side of the water. In the boat was a man with a backpack, and it was as if she were sitting beside him. With accompanying meditative music and narration, the four-minute scene took Royal across a crowded Thai market, through ancient ruins, on a tuk-tuk (a three-wheeled rickshaw) and into an elepha...

Events

2 d. ago Top Boy actor Ashley Walters reconnects with his family after alcoholism battle

Top Boy star Ashley Walters has reflected on his past struggles with alcohol and a period of time he spent behind bars in a candid interview on The Jonathan Ross Show

Events

3 d. ago Top Boy's Ashley Walters opens up on rebuilding his relationship with his children after overcoming alcoholism and reflects on his difficult time in prison

Ashley Walters has opened up about how his struggles with alcoholism impacted his family and revealed how he is now working to rebuild his relationships with his kids.

Events

1 week ago MP Mike Amesbury breaks silence as he's pictured for first time following three nights in prison

He successfully appealed his sentence for common assault and walked free following a hearing at Chester Crown Court

Events

1 week ago Seven organisations face government contract ban over Grenfell Tower tragedy

Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner proposes prison time for executives who break the rules in response to Grenfell inquiry recommendations

Politics

1 week ago France: Where rapists can attack one victim or hundreds but still face the same time in prison

Former surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec is accused of raping or sexually abusing 299 victims in France’s trial of its kind

Events

1 week ago Kelly Brook shares ‘the most difficult thing’ about not having children

‘I don’t want to sit there watching people parent,’ said the star

Politics

1 week ago Fraudster founder announces Fyre Festival 2 and it's more farfetched than the first event

Fyre Festival founder Billy McFarland has revealed that he's rebooting the notorious event that saw him sent to prison for fraud, this time with even bigger promises and prices

Politics

1 week ago Brits pay £15million for prison inmate TVs as jail dubbed 'time to catch up on shows'

EXCLUSIVE: The Daily Star has learned via the Freedom of Information Act that British taxpayers have made outlays of roughly £15million in the last five years on TVs for lags – But the Ministry of Justice isn't worried

Economics

2 w. ago Boyfriend of woman fatally shot after gunman stormed her home is jailed

Ashley Dale's boyfriend Lee Harrison has been jailed for five years

Events

2 w. ago Innocent Ashley Dale's gangster boyfriend is jailed for five years over drugs plot

Lee Harrison, 27, was previously condemned for his 'repugnant' behaviour which sparked a feud with a rival gang leading to the horrific shooting of Ashley Dale, 28.

Events

2 w. ago Innocent Ashley Dale's boyfriend who was the intended target of a hitman who broke into her home and shot her dead is jailed for five years over drugs plot

Lee Harrison, 27, was previously condemned for his 'repugnant' behaviour which sparked a feud with a rival gang leading to the horrific shooting of Ashley Dale, 28.

Events

2 w. ago Boyfriend of Liverpool gun murder victim Ashley Dale jailed for drug dealing

Lee Harrison was the intended target of the gangland shooting in August 2022, when Ashley was murdered by a thug with a Skorpion sub-machine gun

Events