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Out of prison after 30 years and people telling him to find forms on the web

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Re: Out of prison after 30 years and people telling him to find forms on the web

#11

Post by bryanrasmussen »

tyingq wrote: post #2

30 years, so he would have went into prison in 1991. Wow, yeah, I can imagine getting out would have been a surreal experience.

I remember that one of Spider Robinson's Callahan's crosstime saloon stories (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callahan%27s_Crosstime_Saloon) had a similar situation with a guy getting back from being a prisoner of war or in prison in solitary for a couple of decades and being in effect a stranded time traveler (somewhat fuzzy on the details as I read it probably about 40 years ago - ironically enough)

I also recall that there was a little fandom controversy at the time where people complained that it wasn't really a time travel story and what was this jerk Spider Robinson trying to pull anyway!

Re: Out of prison after 30 years and people telling him to find forms on the web

#12

Post by tyingq »

Farbklex wrote: post #7

In contrast, I am sure we all know some older people who were not in prisson for the past 30 years and still don't know how to write an email, what a zoom call is or when it's appropriate to double-click vs single click items on a computer. I know people in their 50s who pretend that "they don't need this technology" or "I can just go to the bank if I need something". Sure, if you're in your 80s you might want to dod…

It seems to be ramping up now. It was only 4 years ago that my bank drastically cut the number of "real people" you can talk to at the bank, for example.

Re: Out of prison after 30 years and people telling him to find forms on the web

#13

Post by shishy »

HenryBemis wrote: post #8
bitwize wrote: post #4

I saw a documentary on the personality-testing industry recently. They did an interview with an older chap fresh out of prison who was attending public job search classes, who said that when he went in. computers were running software from the 1980s and upon getting out he had to learn all about the "Google world" from scratch. It made me realize how fortunate I was: not only had I been exposed to the Google world fr…

Can please you share the imdb link/name of the documentary?

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt14173880/

i believe that one

Re: Out of prison after 30 years and people telling him to find forms on the web

#14

Post by tyingq »

davnn wrote: post #9

I can't imagine that prison life is so disconnected from the rest of society; it certainly isn't in Europe.

Depends on which prison in the US. Angola, in Lousiana, for example is pretty notorious for refusing medical care, recreation limited regularly, forced labor in the fields, etc.

Edit: She mentions "Corrlinks" which provides a sort of "email" like service to Federal prisons. So this person was in a US Federal Prison.

Re: Out of prison after 30 years and people telling him to find forms on the web

#15

Post by Chris2048 »

neartheplain wrote: post #3

My first thought is how the prison system failed him. Computer literacy is a fundamental job skill in the 21st century, one that's relatively easily and inexpensively taught. I'd expect computer literacy programs in any prison system built around rehabilitation.

yep, 30 years is enough time to pursue several degrees, let alone basic skills. What facilities do US prisons provide!?

Re: Out of prison after 30 years and people telling him to find forms on the web

#16

Post by caseyscottmckay »

HenryBemis wrote: post #6
tyingq wrote: post #2

30 years, so he would have went into prison in 1991. Wow, yeah, I can imagine getting out would have been a surreal experience.

To that point, I was thinking that.. in some countries, even if you are jailed for murder, after some time served, you may request and can be allowed to take some 'leave' (24/48h). Didn't he get the chance to take any such 'leaves' in the US? I honestly don't know US Justice system. Would there be the chance that his crime was so severe to not be allowed to get a leave at all for 30 years?

Leaves from prison (felons) are not common in the U.S. Leaves from jail (misdemeanors) are more common (e.g., leave for work during the day, then back to jail after work).

Re: Out of prison after 30 years and people telling him to find forms on the web

#17

Post by technothrasher »

HenryBemis wrote: post #6
tyingq wrote: post #2

30 years, so he would have went into prison in 1991. Wow, yeah, I can imagine getting out would have been a surreal experience.

To that point, I was thinking that.. in some countries, even if you are jailed for murder, after some time served, you may request and can be allowed to take some 'leave' (24/48h). Didn't he get the chance to take any such 'leaves' in the US? I honestly don't know US Justice system. Would there be the chance that his crime was so severe to not be allowed to get a leave at all for 30 years?

There have been some cases in the US of violent criminals being given furlough and committing further violent crimes while out. This has tended to reduce furlough opportunities here.

Re: Out of prison after 30 years and people telling him to find forms on the web

#18

Post by trymas »

Clearly wherever this is (US?) prisons are not about rehabilitation and inclusion back into society.

Weren't there any classes? Books? Library? Computer rooms?

It's complete failure of a justice system if person comes out of prison like from a time capsule. IMHO it may just increase recidivism - what can a person do in a "free" world if he/she were not let to know about the world outside prison walls?

Re: Out of prison after 30 years and people telling him to find forms on the web

#19

Post by refactor_master »

Farbklex wrote: post #7

In contrast, I am sure we all know some older people who were not in prisson for the past 30 years and still don't know how to write an email, what a zoom call is or when it's appropriate to double-click vs single click items on a computer. I know people in their 50s who pretend that "they don't need this technology" or "I can just go to the bank if I need something". Sure, if you're in your 80s you might want to dod…

That rant, wow. It really resonates deeply with me. People would rather cumulatively spend some 10000 hours yelling at Office for the rest of their lives, instead of spending 10 over the course of some evenings/weekends to brush up on the basics. Even from an immediate-more-important-priorities-perspective it almost doesn’t make sense to me.
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