Working on databases from prison

Redemption, Drug Crimes, and Missing Context

• Many readers are moved by the story of self‑education, focus, and technical achievement in prison, and see it as a strong case for rehabilitation.
• Others stress that the offense was not “just weed”: earlier MDMA/marijuana convictions were followed by a later conviction for possession with intent to distribute a potent synthetic opioid (U‑47700), with news reports tying his apartment to traces of carfentanil and overdose investigations.
• Some feel the blog downplays this and omits disturbing elements like a police report alleging domestic violence, which makes them uneasy about a one‑sided, “hero” narrative.
• Debate ensues over how much weight to give past harm versus present conduct: one camp emphasizes that hiring decisions should focus on who someone is now; another insists seriousness of past behavior still matters, especially for lethal opioids.

Maine’s Remote‑Work Prison Program & Turso’s Role

• The Maine remote work initiative is widely praised as a rare, concrete attempt to reduce recidivism by giving incarcerated people real jobs they can continue after release.
• Commenters emphasize how different this is from typical “mop the floors” prison programs, and how it directly addresses the post‑release job gap that often drives people back to crime.
• Turso’s CEO states the company can freely negotiate salary, is paying a full market salary (minus health insurance, since it can’t be used), and that the prison takes a capped percentage; many applaud this as an ethical model.

Prison Labor, “Slavery,” and Economic Incentives

• Large subthreads argue whether prison labor in the US is de facto slavery: pay levels of cents per hour, coercion (e.g., solitary for refusing to “volunteer”), and for‑profit contracts are cited as evidence.
• Others note high per‑inmate costs and say work that offsets costs can be reasonable if voluntary and fairly paid.
• A recurring concern: making prison labor profitable or cheap creates incentives to over‑incarcerate, especially marginalized groups.

Punishment vs. Rehabilitation vs. Public Safety

• Extended discussion of the purposes of punishment: retribution, rehabilitation, deterrence, and incapacitation (“removal”).
• Many argue the US overemphasizes severity (turning “many years” into “many, many years”) despite weak deterrent value, especially when people don’t know or can’t process the penalties.
• Nordic models are invoked as rehabilitation‑focused counterexamples, though some commenters question how exceptional those outcomes really are.

Technology Access and “Prison as Dev Environment”

• Several note how unusual Maine’s internet and programming access is; many US facilities even ban computer books.
• Jokes about prison as a distraction‑free coding haven are strongly countered with reminders of violence, abuse, poor medical care, and the psychological toll of confinement.