Key Highlights
- “I went to Thailand, man!” Smith recalled with a grin, describing the first time he strapped on a VR device and was transported to the lush landscapes and bustling markets of Southeast Asia.
- A Los Angeles-based nonprofit is bringing the technology to California prisons with the goal of providing inmates a brief escape and, more importantly, exposure to real world scenarios that will prepare them to reenter society.
- During a weeklong program last month, incarcerated men at Valley State Prison near Fresno sat on metal folding chairs in a common area.
- They shuffled in their seats as they were outfitted with the headsets that resemble opaque goggles.
- Their necks contorted slightly and smiles spread across their faces as the high-definition videos started and their journeys commenced.
