Many prisoners have a strong need to write, and this would afford them the opportunity to do so in a collaborative instead of solitary fashion. There are classics of prison literature and someday there will be new classics of interactive prison literature. If so, then Internet access is the next logical step. A wealth of good, solid information is available on the Internet and can be brought to the desktop with the click of a mouse. Not only are books available in electronic form over the Internet, some are even available as audio files, perfect for a population with low education levels and literacy needs.
Many people now research their own medical problems on the Internet.
Entire distance learning courses are delivered over the Internet and could be made available to inmates. These have become enormously popular and provide interactivity with others who are online at the same time. Until recent times, computers were difficult to operate, required specialized knowledge of arcane keyboard commands and were the province of experts. It was not until the early 1980s that computers began to win a place in large numbers on the desktops of ordinary users. Ease of use is the cardinal principle that drives mass market adoption of new technologies.