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In Maine, prisoners are thriving in remote jobs

(www.mainepublic.org)
245 points voxadam | 3 comments | 22 Sep 25 22:51 UTC | HN request time: 0.208s | source
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umvi ◴[22 Sep 25 23:19 UTC] No.45340842[source]▶
This... seems like it has the makings of a really great idea. So often prisoners are repeat offenders because they have no skills, no support system after getting out of prison so they revert to their old ways. Imagine already having a job and a large nest egg in your savings account because you got a remote job in prison. Or imagine going to prison as an 18-year-old, learning some skills through a prison educational system, and then getting a remote job and actually start contributing back to society. I'm not sure about Maine's implementation specifically, but something about this idea resonates strongly with me.
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terminalshort ◴[22 Sep 25 23:57 UTC] No.45341167[source]▶
Yeah, I guess it's a good idea given the state of our current system. But it seems like prisoners fall into two basic categories - 1. people who very few employers would hire for remote work due to their criminal history. 2. people who really shouldn't be in prison at all.
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boston_clone ◴[23 Sep 25 05:07 UTC] No.45343027[source]▶
Where do you get that idea? The article paints a pleasantly different picture:

> "We had 87 assaults on staff in 2017. Last year, we had seven assaults on staff [...] the officers that go to work everyday and don't feel like their life is at risk."

replies(1): >>45343166 #
1. hackable_sand ◴[23 Sep 25 05:44 UTC] No.45343166[source]▶
How is that pleasant? Y'all disgust me. Free them.
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2. boston_clone ◴[23 Sep 25 05:53 UTC] No.45343207[source]▶
Sorry, I think we may be misaligned - such a significant decrease in violence that is almost inherent to such a dark system is something worth noting.

I only highlighted that decrease as counter to the false dichotomy of the parent - clearly, an improvement in our prison practices can benefit not only incarcerated people, but the wellbeing of the staff and surrounding community.

3. danaris ◴[23 Sep 25 11:09 UTC] No.45345382[source]▶
That would be fantastic, but if you know literally anything about America, you'd know that that's not something in our power to effect. Especially right now.

Reforms like this, however, are much more realistic.

Don't let the perfect become the enemy of the good.