I'd ideally like to be able to quit when an employer starts hiring criminals, and get the full compensation package, as if I'd been laid off, and the freedom to tell the truth about it in interviews.
From Prison to Programming
111–120 of 121 posts
Re: From Prison to Programming
#112Oh yeah, that's gonna bring status to our profession! Can you imagine "Prison to District Attorney". Or "Prison to Chief of Staff of Hospital".
No, because - as a programmer - I have the humility to admit that this job requires neither the stress management, the moral complexity, the social responsibility, nor the interpersonal skills that the jobs you've listed require. I think our profession needs less gatekeeping, not more.
You only speak for yourself, and not very well.
Less gatekeeping? Sure, bring on more women, ... and convicted sex offenders. Diversity is the fabric of the modern workplace!
Re: From Prison to Programming
#113Earlier quoted context omitted.
I legitimately can't tell if this post was written facetiously, what's your alternative? because the alternative of giving them no education is almost a sure fire guarantee that they'll be ill-equipped to be able to get a job with the potential to become a productive member of society. He's not advocating that we teach lock picking 101 for chr##-sake. But it's OK because you "know criminals" so naturally that extrapo…
>> the alternative of giving them no education is almost a sure fire guarantee that they'll be ill-equipped to be able to get a job with the potential to become a productive member of society These are my friends that I'm talking about. They don't want to be, will never be, and never could be if they wanted to, productive members of society. What's your alternative? I can sure fire guarantee you that they'll be ill-e…
*SARCASM ALERT
>> These are my friends that I'm talking about. They don't want to be, will never be, and never could be if they wanted to, productive members of society.
So right, we should’ve nipped it in the butt and cut them out of preschool. ;)
Re: From Prison to Programming
#114Oh yeah, that's gonna bring status to our profession! Can you imagine "Prison to District Attorney". Or "Prison to Chief of Staff of Hospital".
> Oh yeah, that's gonna bring status to our profession! Who cares? So what is your plan for former convicts? Have them in prison their entire lives? Only give them the shittiest of jobs for the rest of their lives? Send them to Australia? Outer space? All other things being equal, I'd rather have a former convict motivated to make the best of things than some privileged middle-class millennial who thinks the world ow…
How about becoming cops? Since existing police officers are already exposed to criminals (and not even "nice", reformed ones), they (and their families) shouldn't mind so much.
Anyway, that wasn't my point; my point is that this kind of article is harmful to our profession, not the fact that the ex cons found something to work at that they like.
Just maybe keep the past under wraps. I don't want to know. If I find out, I'm getting the hell out.
Yes, sure, "anyone can code"; I get it. Or, maybe not anyone, but a person with the right cognitive aptitudes regardless of their background.
Re: From Prison to Programming
#115I think the biggest problem prisons have is that you collect large groups of criminals and let them hang out together. It breeds an even more concentrated form of criminal. Often times minor criminals need to join racist gangs just to survive which Is inhumane. I think they should all be separated from each other. They should be put in single cells, and given access to as much education as they want, and just basical…
Solitary confinement is literally inhumane and drives people to suicide. This is one of the only realistic suggestions I can imagine that would make the US prison system worse .
I didn’t mean solitary confinement. The prisoners can interact with other people during their sentence, just not with others prisoners.
Re: From Prison to Programming
#116Earlier quoted context omitted.
just want to add that you are correct imo. confinement was overall the very worst experience of my 18 years in prison.
I can imagine that is true. I think OP has some rationale, but he/she has done very little second order thinking of the consequences of such isolation. It's very easy to make such harsh armchair statements on the Internet, but I think more reflection is needed.
As I explained above I didn’t mean solitary confinement. I meant simply not mixing with other prisoners. They should be able to see counselors, educators, visitors, etc.
Re: From Prison to Programming
#117Earlier quoted context omitted.
God I fucking hate the response "learn to code!" to everything. People seem to think everyone being a programmer is needed otherwise humanity will fall. Honestly it is one of the stupidest things I have heard. Could more [good] programmers be a good thing? Sure, we can always do with more good programmers. However the truth is we need more of many, many types of people. Teachers, personal care workers, doctors, nurse…
Obviously not everyone wants to learn to code. I dont think anyone mistakenly believes that.The (possibly overused) advice to learn to code is prevalent because software is prevalent Ill repeat what ive said elsewhere...It is a legit path to a rewarding job which is open to those without degrees and who might have felonies on record. Since starting Underdog Devs Ive seen it over and over. With real commitment its ver…
Nothing pays close to SWE without going into significant debt and losing years in training. Any rational economic actor will do nothing but software in current economy.
Re: From Prison to Programming
#118Earlier quoted context omitted.
No, because - as a programmer - I have the humility to admit that this job requires neither the stress management, the moral complexity, the social responsibility, nor the interpersonal skills that the jobs you've listed require. I think our profession needs less gatekeeping, not more.
You only speak for yourself, and not very well. Less gatekeeping? Sure, bring on more women, ... and convicted sex offenders. Diversity is the fabric of the modern workplace!
You and I differ in what we consider speaking well. I'd sooner hire an ex-con over a reductionist, as I at least know the former can handle nuance.
Re: From Prison to Programming
#119Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Teachers, personal care workers, doctors, nurses, etc. All of which having a criminal record disqualifies one from.
Depends on the crime, I know a few doctors and nurses that have criminal records. But I accept your point. However I was not talking about those with a criminal record. Like in the comment I was replying to where learn to code programmes were seen as the "solution" for coal miners whose mines were closed. Is it an option? Of course. Is it the solution for all ? Hardly but it is often treated as one so people can say…
> Like in the comment I was replying to where learn to code programmes were seen as the "solution" for coal miners whose mines were closed.
And as soon as it was turned around on the very journalists advocating for that it was deemed bullying...
Re: From Prison to Programming
#120Not all prison sentences are the same. I am in a trial case for possession of illegal pornography (yes, that..). My name came out in the media on the day of my arrest, and society has already concluded the trial years before it is scheduled to take place. Lost the tech-related job, had to move out, lost all social interactions, etc. I've had severe mental health issues and a very difficult past so I had always been s…
I don't know your case, but getting your whole life shitcanned for having illegal porn seems crazy to me. Can you start a business and work behind that? I've never once looked into who founded any company I've hired for anything, ever. I doubt anyone else does either. An idea.
I'll keep that in mind, thanks. I just happen to have a name that, as far as I've been able to tell for decades, uniquely identifies me in the world (due to unusual spellings). And after many years of a very slow crawl through the justice system without the job, I have long lost any kind of savings (and would be homeless if not for the support of a couple people around me).
The top google results for my name - even with a usual expected typo I get, lands on articles online from the day of the arrest. Only reporting on the arrest itself, therefore not declaring the guilt, but it hardly matters to any reader or automated tools that copy those articles over and over again on random blogs. It's a terrifying ride going forward, no matter how much I figure out healing and therapeutic tools.