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How I got here

pthorpe92.github.io

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Re: How I got here

#71

Post by throw__away7391 »

k1ns wrote: post #34
throw__away7391 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Serious question: does this come from real first hand experience of knowledge of the issue or are you simply repeating the NYT/the Atlantic/Vox etc.? My understanding is that about 8% of US prisons are privately owned. Perhaps that's not a good thing, but I don't think it is at all correct to say that "prisons in the USA are for-profit enterprise" when the actual number is so low. I have also heard this narrative for…

Yes, my introduction to the world of commercial software development was an internship at a company that built products for prisons. To be clear, I said "prisons...are for-profit enterprises", not "all prisons are privately owned". Even state-owned prisons are cash cows for the prison industry. I'm not interested in what narrative you identify with, I'm stating a fact.

Well that's true of literally every thing that is made and every service delivered. There's an absolutely huge industry build around primary education that dwarfs the prison industry by a significant margin.

Actually prisons and schools have quite a lot in common so maybe you're onto something.

Re: How I got here

#72

Post by pyuser583 »

Projectiboga wrote: post #47
simbolit wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> how a country ... like the USA could come up with arguably the worst prison system in the world I will leave you with this quote by John Erlichman: "We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities, (...) We could arrest their lea…

One of the several hundred thousand nazis, erm German refugees, the Eisenhower administration brought here in 1953. This was much larger than operation paperclip. The GOP reloaded with that cohort. Their descendants are still wrecking havoc upon our country. I'm sure some come and have done well for us but many are trouble. That huge S&L scandal back in the late 80s was by some of them.

Could you provide more info on this? I haven’t heard of this before. I don’t doubt it’s true, I’d just like to see more about it.

Regarding Ehrlichman specifically, his Wikipedia page says he fought for the US during WWII, and his father died serving in the Canadian military in 1940 (when Canada was fighting, but the US was not).

So it seems pretty low to call him a Nazi.

Re: How I got here

#73

Post by saxonww »

Projectiboga wrote: post #47
simbolit wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> how a country ... like the USA could come up with arguably the worst prison system in the world I will leave you with this quote by John Erlichman: "We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities, (...) We could arrest their lea…

One of the several hundred thousand nazis, erm German refugees, the Eisenhower administration brought here in 1953. This was much larger than operation paperclip. The GOP reloaded with that cohort. Their descendants are still wrecking havoc upon our country. I'm sure some come and have done well for us but many are trouble. That huge S&L scandal back in the late 80s was by some of them.

What are you talking about? Ehrlichman was born in the US in 1925.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ehrlichman

Re: How I got here

#74

Post by lyu07282 »

throw__away7391 wrote: post #14
k1ns wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Prisons in the USA are for-profit enterprises that rely on a consistent population. They have no incentive to rehabilitate, in fact it's the opposite. What I don't understand is how a country with so many advantages like the USA could come up with arguably the worst prison system in the world. As a citizen, it's embarrassing that this is accepted by those in power as a good solution.

Serious question: does this come from real first hand experience of knowledge of the issue or are you simply repeating the NYT/the Atlantic/Vox etc.? My understanding is that about 8% of US prisons are privately owned. Perhaps that's not a good thing, but I don't think it is at all correct to say that "prisons in the USA are for-profit enterprise" when the actual number is so low. I have also heard this narrative for…

The criticism of private prisons (or the prison industrial complex) in general is more than just referring to privately owned and run prisons, its referring to prisons, jails, detention facilities, psychiatric hospitals, private security and guards, transportation and logistics, health care services, surveillance and other technology providers, food/commissary/library services, communication/phone services, cash bail creditors, etc. etc. all run for-profit.

The other issue is more in general about having incarceration rates that are "four to six times that of its high-income peers in Europe and Asia". So you might recognize that as an issue too and think perhaps its the privatized prison system, the root causes for crime like inequality, disenfranchisement, homelessness, the reasons for drug use in the first place, or even just perhaps switching to an evidence-based rehabilitation system.

But now imagine you are a liberal, you need a way to acknowledge and talk about these problems without ever actually having to change anything. So that's why liberal journalists are talking about non-violent drug offenders and the 8.41% private prison population and so Biden stopped the justice department from renewing contracts for federal private prisons and he pardoned all prisoners of federal non-violent marijuana possession charges. Of course it doesn't actually do anything, but that was the point. And that's what liberalism is.

Re: How I got here

#75

Post by awesomeMilou »

Projectiboga wrote: post #47
simbolit wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> how a country ... like the USA could come up with arguably the worst prison system in the world I will leave you with this quote by John Erlichman: "We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities, (...) We could arrest their lea…

One of the several hundred thousand nazis, erm German refugees, the Eisenhower administration brought here in 1953. This was much larger than operation paperclip. The GOP reloaded with that cohort. Their descendants are still wrecking havoc upon our country. I'm sure some come and have done well for us but many are trouble. That huge S&L scandal back in the late 80s was by some of them.

Ehrlichman was born in the US though, so I'm not sure where you take the Nazi part from?

Re: How I got here

#76

Post by next_xibalba »

gavinray wrote: post #39
next_xibalba wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

> He had his chances to be a productive, tax paying member of society and he blew it I love this thought that people in the US with felony convictions can just go out and be: "productive, tax paying member of society". I'll place a wager that if you called and ask them if they even HIRE felons, they'll tell you "No, as a matter of corporate policy." So, what then -- work for $10/hr so that you can barely make rent in…

He was not born a drug wholesaler. He made that choice…twice! Rehabilitation is not the sole or even primary goal of incarceration. Nor should it be. But I do agree. People who’ve done their time shouldn’t have to wear a permanent scarlet letter. I just have little sympathy for repeat offenders of very serious felonies. This guy wasn’t a small time street dealer. He is probably partly responsible for many fentanyl overdose deaths.

Re: How I got here

#77

Post by freedomben »

RecycledEle wrote: post #62
gavinray wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This does not solve the problem that many of us do not want to hire convicted criminals. Thank you for at least acknowledging this. I'd wager that if people with convictions on their record, had even a 10-20% chance of being hired at a decent establishment, we'd see recidivism go down by a statistically significant amount. I know the justice system. The grand majority of folks coming in and out of prison genuinely…

[flagged]

That's genuinely horrifying, and I don't find many opinions horrifying.

Are you being serious or trolling? If serious, I hope people don't kill your comment because this is one I think should be discussed.

Re: How I got here

#78

Post by k1ns »

throw__away7391 wrote: post #71
k1ns wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, my introduction to the world of commercial software development was an internship at a company that built products for prisons. To be clear, I said "prisons...are for-profit enterprises", not "all prisons are privately owned". Even state-owned prisons are cash cows for the prison industry. I'm not interested in what narrative you identify with, I'm stating a fact.

Well that's true of literally every thing that is made and every service delivered. There's an absolutely huge industry build around primary education that dwarfs the prison industry by a significant margin. Actually prisons and schools have quite a lot in common so maybe you're onto something.

I'm glad you brought up the public education system. One is designed to instill knowledge and nurture young minds (public schools) while the other is designed to make sure you come back (prisons).

Re: How I got here

#79

Post by chroma »

Nursie wrote: post #45
chroma wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He was convicted of possessing 30 grams of carfentanil while on parole for his previous conviction. A lethal dose of carfentanil is 2mg, so it was at least 15,000 doses. 1. https://www.doj.nh.gov/news/2017/20171011-preston-thorpe-sen...

Fuck me, carfentanil is one of those things I read about years ago, that seemed like it would never get anywhere near the recreational drug market, because it’s just too potent and too dangerous to handle safely… Ah, I see from your link it was u-47700 he was arrested with. Certainly a potent and potentially lethal substance, but not exactly on the same scale as carfentanil. U-47700 is quoted as 7.5x the potency of m…

Apologies. I read a news article about him being charged with carfentanil possession and assumed the conviction referred to that. Apparently the carfentanil was found in his apartment and he was later caught with the other synthetic opioid.

Re: How I got here

#80

Post by macintux »

frob wrote: post #59
gavinhoward wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, though supporting an organization always feels like expecting someone else to do the hard work. I'd like to do more.

Recidiviz is hiring: https://angel.co/company/recidiviz/jobs

Apropos of nothing, that jobs site is technically-challenged. Recidiviz has 2 jobs posted, but looking at the filters, there are apparently 3 available in NYC or SF (and no "remote" filter, despite the fact that both jobs are listed as remote, NYC, or SF).
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