Building smart prisons: Developing a context-specific digital transformation framework for Indonesia

• This research aims to develop a Digital Transformation Framework for Smart Prisons, with a particular focus on Indonesian Prisons. This study employs a mixed-method design, integrating Grounded Theory (GT) methodology for in-depth theorizing and Q methodology for grouping of subjective perspectives, rooted in the Quad-Helix approach to gain a thorough insight from academia, the correctional industry, governmental bodies, and society to tackle multifaceted societal viewpoints. The goal is to pave the way for the enhancement of humane, effective, and accountable practices within prison environments. • The Digital Transformation framework incorporates four critical dimensions: people, process, technology, and organization, defined across 16 components and 45 factors. • The research also introduces Smart Prison Development Model (SPDM). It Emphasizes the need for a structured cycle to plan, implement, and evaluate digital initiatives, ensuring more humane, effective, and accountable practices in prison systems. • The research develops the prototype of the framework using web application. It is applicable across different types of Indonesian prisons, from super-maximum security, maximum security, medium security, and minimum security, ensuring that digital transformation initiatives are adaptable to various operational and security needs. The rapid digitalization of correctional systems globally has attracted significant attention from both scholars and policymakers. However, digital transformation (DT) within correctional environments remains conceptually fragmented and empirically underexplored. The purpose of this study is to develop a Smart Prisons Transformation Framework (SPTF) that supports responsible and context-appropriate digital reform within Indonesia’s correctional system. Using a mixed-method research design, the study integrates an adapted Grounded Theory approach to inductively construct the framework's conceptual foundation and applies Q methodology to capture and validate diverse stakeholder perspectives. The resulting SPTF comprises four dimensions: people, process, technology, and organization operationalized into 16 components and 45 measurable factors. To assess practical feasibility, a supporting prototype was developed and piloted across selected prisons. Empirical findings indicate that structured, ethically guided DT implementation can enhance institutional efficiency, accountability, and rehabilitative outcomes. Overall, the findings suggest that digital transformation in correctional environments requires a context-sensitive framework that balances technological innovation, security, ethical governance, and organizational readiness. The proposed Smart Prisons Transformation Framework (SPTF) demonstrates initial practical feasibility and positive usability, although further validation across diverse correctional contexts is necessary to confirm its long-term effectiveness and generalizability. This study contributes to theory and practice by offering actionable guidance for responsible digital reform, uniquely embedding ethical governance and human-rights considerations into digital transformation design for high-regulation correctional environments.