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Working on databases from prison

turso.tech

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Re: Working on databases from prison

#261

Post by dvektor »

BryantD wrote: post #90
komali2 wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know the circumstances of this case, but in many states, e.g. Texas my home state, simply having above an arbitrarily defined amount of a given controlled substance automatically gets you tagged with "intent to sell." An overloaded court system combined with a pay-to-win "justice" system means a lot of people take the charge in their plea deal even if they aren't dealers.

Without judging this guy's current state, he makes it clear in his first blog post that he was a dealer. "So instead of coming back home broke and apologetic, I ended up pretty deep into this and soon was making tens of thousands of dollars a week, very much unapologetically." Then, after his first sentence: "I was left with the difficult choice of either living there and walking to a temp agency with hopes of making…

Yes unfortunately for a long time my whole life revolved around 'drug culture', and so did of all my 'friends' and my entire social circle.

I certainly cannot act like I did not deserve to come to prison, and it's definitely the only reason I am even alive right now. Coming to prison, specifically in Maine, was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Re: Working on databases from prison

#262

Post by mcmcmc »

wavemode wrote: post #172
mcmcmc wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No pings, just people who may decide to shiv or rape you

Nobody gets shivved or raped in the kind of low-security prisons where non-violent criminals go.

It’s more rare sure, but it still happens. Either way my point was that romanticizing prison is a terrible take

Re: Working on databases from prison

#263

Post by mp05 »

kgwxd wrote: post #190
glommer wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

they take an (actually very reasonable) cut, but he is free to take his salary.

No cut is reasonable.

Don't you suppose that it's "fair" to request compensation for the room and board if the person is making a "fair" wage?

Re: Working on databases from prison

#265

Post by gwbennett »

glommer wrote: post #30
chatmasta wrote: post #6

How does the compensation work? The US prison system has a bit of a nasty reputation when it comes to exploiting prison labor, so I hope those practices aren’t carrying over into these more forward-looking types of initiative… but at the same time, surely Turso isn’t paying full SWE salary?

I am the Turso CEO. We pay him a full salary, just not health care benefits.

Bravo Zulu!!!

Re: Working on databases from prison

#266

Post by lo_zamoyski »

criddell wrote: post #236
lo_zamoyski wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The US prison system has a bit of a nasty reputation when it comes to exploiting prison labor Do you mean for private interest? If so, I would agree that prison labor should only be used for public benefit. And this labor should be part of the sentence.

Setting up an inmate for success after release is a public benefit IMHO.

Absolutely. But this is a separate question.

Re: Working on databases from prison

#267

Post by stickfigure »

zaphar wrote: post #256
TulliusCicero wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow, 15-30 years seems like an insane amount of time for drug possession. Even if the amount implied dealing, that still seems really high. Don't people typically get less than that for sexual assault or armed robbery?

I don't know. If you are in posession of enough of a controlled substance to kill 300 people I'm kind of okay with a drastic response. For every Preston Thorpe who turns their life around there 100s of others who will just go out and keep endangering lives like this. I think this is a nuanced topic and 10-30 years is too much for drug possession is entirely lacking the necessary nuance to evaluate. Comparison to othe…

"enough of a controlled substance to kill" is an absurd, inflammatory metric. They guy was selling a good to willing and aware buyers and we have no reason to believe he was trying to kill anyone.

He shouldn't be in prison, period.

Re: Working on databases from prison

#268

Post by conductr »

kgwxd wrote: post #190
glommer wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

they take an (actually very reasonable) cut, but he is free to take his salary.

No cut is reasonable.

I disagree. The cut should support the program itself and then further offset taxpayer expenses related to housing, feeding, and caring for the prisoner. I could even see a case for taking it as a way of ensuring it was saved and returned at release.

Re: Working on databases from prison

#269

Post by IncandescentGas »

croemer wrote: post #246

Great story, I wish this inspired more prisons around the world to follow suit. For those who don't want to hit Google, the conviction was for possessing 30g of a synthetic opioid "U-47700". A normal dose is ~1mg, 10mg can be deadly (so this was 30000 trips or killing 3000). The drug became illegal across the US on November 14, 2016. "Police said they found the drug in Thorpe’s apartment in Manchester in December 201…

Since the top comment seems to be judging the worthiness of this individual to work with databases after prison, for those considering working with or hiring someone with a criminal record, I'd beg you to consider:

You're hiring the person as they are today, long after any punishment, rehabilitation, parold, probation, and personal growth. Not who they were at the time of past actions.

Having your own mini trial, where you sit in judgement over the candidate, from your ignorant position of privilege, using whatever details you can dig up with google may be entertaining for you, but is tells you nothing of what kind of employee they might be. Your mock trial may be especially traumatic to endure for the candidate, because their side of the story is rarely included in any reporting you can dig up. Especially for those unfairly convicted.

With everything going on today, do you really trust our justice system to be fair, especially to someone who is not a wealthy and connected straight white male?

If you're only willing to give people a chance when you judge their offence to be trivial by your own ethics, you're not actually providing second chances for those that need it.

Re: Working on databases from prison

#270

Post by dl9999 »

glommer wrote: post #30
chatmasta wrote: post #6

How does the compensation work? The US prison system has a bit of a nasty reputation when it comes to exploiting prison labor, so I hope those practices aren’t carrying over into these more forward-looking types of initiative… but at the same time, surely Turso isn’t paying full SWE salary?

I am the Turso CEO. We pay him a full salary, just not health care benefits.

People like you give me hope for the world.
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