An Exploratory Quantitative Analysis of Black Formerly Incarcerated People’s Digital Literacy

The reentry challenges that formerly incarcerated people (FIPs) face are well‐documented in prior research. However, the digital inequality this population faces has received less consideration in reentry research. In particular, there has been little research conducted to quantitatively assess FIPs’ digital literacy skills and their relationship with demographic and incarceration‐related variables. The current study is exploratory and addresses this limitation by using quantitative data from 73 Black FIPs in Michigan to examine relationships between their digital literacy, demographics, and incarceration‐related variables. The analyses conducted included bivariate correlations, ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions, and post hoc power analyses. The findings reveal that FIPs with more extensive incarceration histories fare worse in terms of the composite digital literacy scale and multiple digital literacy subscales. Age and disability status were also associated with specific digital literacy skill subtypes. These findings suggest that digital literacy skills are shaped by FIPs’ backgrounds, especially their incarceration histories. Thus, FIPs are experiencing a new “digital collateral consequence” of incarceration, resulting in structural barriers to reentry that must be addressed through policy and programming. However, because the posthoc power analysis found that the regression models were underpowered, the need for additional research replicating this study with larger and broader samples cannot be understated.