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My friend starts her job today, after learning to program in prison

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Re: My friend starts her job today, after learning to program in prison

#611

Post by czynskee »

EE84M3i wrote: post #569
ry454 wrote: post #485

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On paper, I'd be a felon for serious offences on at least 4 episodes. If the law was followed to the letter, and if somebody nosy had enough access and time to inspect the past 15 years of my life, I'd be serving at least two life sentences. The smallest offence is carrying a hunter's knife in my car: that's a 3rd degree felony as I'd discovered recently. In practice, though, if the law was followed to the letter, 90…

>for reasons I probably don't need to explain. I'm clueless. What would lead to serving life?

I think they're implying statutory rape.

Re: My friend starts her job today, after learning to program in prison

#612

Post by unionpivo »

bjt wrote: post #238
avisser wrote: post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Getting guilt right and what punishment to dispense to the guilty are different questions. I disagree. If your legal system executes people, they are inseparable questions. I would generalize to say that the more severe your sentences, the more those two questions are related.

I think you're arguing a different point. Sure there's a relationship, but these are not the same question: "Did Joe kill Dave?" "Given that we've decided that Joe did kill Dave, what should Joe's punishment be?"

They can become one.

For instance:

  1) Did Joe steal that apple?
  2a)Do we chop off Joe's hand, like law says? 
  2b)Do we make Joe repay the apple, and get community work?
There are people (myself included) that would answer the 1 question differently depending on the second question

Re: My friend starts her job today, after learning to program in prison

#613

Post by ano88888 »

red_trumpet wrote: post #601
ano88888 wrote: post #598

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is great that programming is helping people with criminal record. On the other hand, if you are a programmer , unless you are one of top ones in the world, anyone can compete with you. Someone can switch jobs and take a few months of code bootcamp and become your competitor. Your years of experience only make you less valuable. Anyone can spend a few months learning to code and replace you. The demand for programm…

> Your years of experience only make you less valuable. Can you elaborate on that?

age discrimination prevalent in the tech industry (unless you're the world top expert)

Re: My friend starts her job today, after learning to program in prison

#614

Post by amelius »

econcon wrote: post #556
BlueGh0st wrote: post #472

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How? I read so many felon success stories but I'm a non-violent felon and I can't even get an entry-level interview in IT. I'm multiskilled with a huge focus on security but despite the demand, I've had so much trouble. In fact, in one very sad case, I showed up to my first day of work as a sys admin and was walked out after 2 hours because the HR department neglected to go over my application and see the felony chec…

My suggestion: 1. Go to a big city where software folks are paid a lot 2. Apply for roles at startups or small companies who find it hard to compete with big companies paying a lot. 3. Profit

And live in an RV to save on housing costs.

Re: My friend starts her job today, after learning to program in prison

#615

Post by xiphias2 »

ano88888 wrote: post #613
red_trumpet wrote: post #601

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Your years of experience only make you less valuable. Can you elaborate on that?

age discrimination prevalent in the tech industry (unless you're the world top expert)

In my experience the only way to fight age discrimination is to reach out to ex-colleagues.

I sent my otherwise great resume to many companies without any callback, but I didn't want to ask my friends for help as I wanted to do it alone. After talking to my colleague, who said ,,Oh sure, just tell me which companies you want to interview to, my wife works at Facebook anyways'', I was hired instantly.

Re: My friend starts her job today, after learning to program in prison

#616

Post by thaumasiotes »

larrywright wrote: post #532
murderfs wrote: post #514

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But that wasn't your argument!

> at the end of that time they should be given a chance at a fresh start It really was.

It might have been something you were thinking, but it's pretty much the opposite of what you said.

Re: My friend starts her job today, after learning to program in prison

#617

Post by thrownaway954 »

Meph504 wrote: post #520
thrownaway954 wrote: post #513

Any public or government job will require a background check, most private jobs don't. That doesn't mean you can't get a government job. I will say that the doors are there, you just have to have the courage to knock.

I don't think it's fair or wise to tell people this, do you any data to support this claim? I don't know any career track companies that don't do background checks, there are too many services now that make them insanely easy to do, that it's basically uploading a resume and/or filling out the form and you can get results back the same day.

yes i do cause i've worked in both the government and private sectors. all government jobs required a background check and some even security clearance. quite a few private did also, but most of them don't cause they don't want to spend the money on them or down right don't care about your past cause they have a past themselves. i will say that just because you have a criminal record doesn't mean that you are automatically disqualified. you just have to be upfront and tell before they do the background check. the whole thing is that everyone hates wasting their time. if you tell them up front that you have a history most will thank you and tell you not to worry about it. that is why i'm saying that you have to courage to knock on the door. lots of people see that the job requires a background check and immediately move on disqualifying themselves.

Re: My friend starts her job today, after learning to program in prison

#618

Post by mikkelam »

ano88888 wrote: post #600
onion2k wrote: post #12

70millionjobs is a YC (S17) company that helps people with criminal records get jobs - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14911467

It is great that programming is helping people with criminal record. On the other hand, if you are a programmer , unless you are one of top ones in the world, anyone can compete with you. Someone can switch jobs and take a few months of code bootcamp and become your competitor. Your years of experience only make you less valuable. Anyone can spend a few months learning to code and replace you. The demand for programm…

this user wrote this comment twice. Perhaps a bot?

Re: My friend starts her job today, after learning to program in prison

#619

Post by RobertKerans »

waterhouse wrote: post #567
lostcolony wrote: post #402

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the "punitive" side of things. Certainly, it seems "fair" to ensure the punishment is equal to the crime, but fair isn't the same as just. Why don't you go Code of Hammurabi on someone, and inflict the same kind of injury? The logic still holds. Of course, it now requires people willing to commit torture and rape and the like, to equal the crime, but that's the logical conclusion of trying to be "fair". But ev…

There is a rights-based approach in which (a) yes, someone inflicting a harm on you gives you the right to inflict a proportionate harm on them; (b) you can then go to them and threaten to inflict this harm, and usually get them to agree to pay you a fine instead, thus benefiting both of you. Labor could be used to substitute for a fine if someone can't pay, although I think in today's prisons the prisoners don't nec…

This is a jaw-droppingly horrific system you're imagining. Amongst other things you've effectively insulted rich criminals from any repercussions, and basically given them a slave underclass (please, no snarky comments about current justice system). Do you genuinely think this a good idea?

Re: My friend starts her job today, after learning to program in prison

#620

Post by Broken_Hippo »

ManBlanket wrote: post #530
BlueGh0st wrote: post #472

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How? I read so many felon success stories but I'm a non-violent felon and I can't even get an entry-level interview in IT. I'm multiskilled with a huge focus on security but despite the demand, I've had so much trouble. In fact, in one very sad case, I showed up to my first day of work as a sys admin and was walked out after 2 hours because the HR department neglected to go over my application and see the felony chec…

Don't check the felony checkbox. Seriously.

At best, that can get you fired. Easily. And that makes it even more difficult to find another job in the future.
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