Technology

60115 readers

2591 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

Follow the lemmy.world rules.
Only tech related content.
Be excellent to each another!
Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
Politics threads may be removed.
No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

210

‘This is my way out.’ In Maine, remote work gives prisoners a lifeline. (www.bostonglobe.com)

submitted 2 days ago by misk@sopuli.xyz to c/technology@lemmy.world

25 comments fedilink hide all child comments

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 104 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (4 children)

Unlike incarcerated residents with jobs in the kitchen or woodshop who earn just a few hundred dollars a month, remote workers make fair-market wages, allowing them to pay victim restitution fees and legal costs, provide child support, and contribute to Social Security and other retirement funds. Like inmates in work-release programs who have jobs out in the community, 10 percent of remote workers’ wages go to the state to offset the cost of room and board. All Maine DOC residents get re-entry support for housing and job searches before they’re released, and remote workers leave with even more: up-to-date résumés, a nest egg — and the hope that they’re less likely to need food or housing assistance, or resort to crime to get by.

I went into this article skeptical. Allowing them to be paid fairly shouldn't be a big deal but it absolutely is. Getting inmates a nest-egg to go back to the world with is huge, because most inmates walk out with almost nothing, which often leads to chronic homelessness and ending up back in jail. This is huge. I'm glad to see it at least somewhere.

[–] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 43 points 2 days ago

because most inmates walk out with almost nothing, which often leads to chronic homelessness and ending up back in jail.

There is a reason the "former" slaves states like Alabama ensure that prisoners are destitute when they are released.

[–] einkorn@feddit.org 32 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Allowing them to be paid fairly shouldn't be a big deal but it absolutely is.

Not many people realize it but slavery is still legal in the US. Convicted inmates can be forced to work as part of their punishment.

[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Don't even have to be convicted. Jails force inmates to work for the jail. If you refuse they throw you into solitary confinement, till you "adjust your attitude." The vast majority of people in jail couldn't make bail, and are waiting for trial, therefore are innocent of any crime they have been charged with.

[–] einkorn@feddit.org 1 points 1 day ago

Well, illegal slavery is always an option. The opportunities for legal slavery are minimal, though.

[–] SapphironZA@sh.itjust.works 13 points 2 days ago

Having to pay only 10% of your income for room and board, sounds so good, people would kill for it.

[–] stinky@redlemmy.com -1 points 2 days ago

I want every prison in my country emptied today, police abolished and for this humanitarian crisis to never happen again, no matter the cost.