Ask HN: Any advice for someone getting out of prison after 18 years?

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Jan 25, 2013, 11:00 AM UTC

jlarocco wrote: post #77

SwellJoe wrote: post #49

I'm seeing a lot of "he got what he deserved" and "he's gonna have to wash dishes, nobody will hire him" kinds of comments here. This is one of the really broken elements of US culture. We have a culture of revenge and shaming, rather than healing and allowing reparations. This is why we have the highest prison population per-capita in the world; higher than China, higher than Russia, higher than Iran, higher than Cu…

If I'm hiring for a job, all other things being equal, why choose the felon? It's possible, maybe even likely, that the person was reformed in prison. But if I choose the non-felon, then I don't even have to worry about it. To be honest, though, it depends a heavily on what the person's crime was. Do I care that a guy got caught with a pound of weed? No. Do I care that he embezzled from his employer? Definitely. A gu…

Post by rpfennin » Fri, Jan 25, 2013, 2:46 PM UTC

Post by alt2319 » Fri, Jan 25, 2013, 3:59 PM UTC

syedkarim wrote: post #98

alt2319 wrote: post #86

I'm a convicted federal felon. To top it off, it's a computer fraud conviction involving a former employer. I used to think I'd never even be able to flip burgers for pay. I'm actually probably right - McDonalds would never hire me. But since my conviction I've worked a decent string of IT jobs. First, he needs to understand that there are a lot of people with a criminal record. I've met plenty of people with crimina…

"I could probably sit in a public library, pinning Amazon links a few hours a day and earn enough to get by." --Really? I would have assumed that mTurk would have dropped the floor on this type of work.

Post by alt2319 » Fri, Jan 25, 2013, 4:05 PM UTC

rayiner wrote: post #74

rdouble wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The "nobody will hire him" comments may just be realistic, as most jobs, even low level jobs, screen out felons. Even jobs one would think are amenable to felons, like oil roughnecks in North Dakota, are now staffed by large agencies who weed out felons. These days it's doubly tough for ex-cons because they are competing with millions of unemployed people who don't have a felon rap sheet. If he's really interested in…

> This might sound strange since vengance-oriented churches are so popular these days, but the Midwest still has many liberal church organizations that are into forgiveness and second chances and that sort of thing. In Indiana, I would suggest looking at Quaker oriented organizations, maybe even Earlham College. This is a great suggestion.

Post by csense » Fri, Jan 25, 2013, 7:36 PM UTC

brianchu wrote: post #126

csense wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> prisons are not real punishment I think Aaron Swartz would disagree. > punishing them with the clear intention of feeling good in some way This plays some role, but I'd say the biggest reason people give in favor of having prisons is rational: Deterrence. If crimes aren't punished, what stops people from stealing when they want something they can't afford? What stops the strong from beating up the weak for fun, for…

The Aaron Swartz analogy doesn't work. The point that the parent was trying to make was that for your average violent and even non-violent criminal (typically low-income upbringing, living in run-down conditions, living on the "streets" but not in a homeless sense), prisons are not real punishment. In fact, conditions in prison can for some be an improvement. Aaron grew up in an upper-middle class environment. Prison…