Inmates Program Logistics App For Prison 98
schweini writes "Inmates in an Oklahoma prison developed software that attempts to streamline the prison's food logistics. A state representative found out, and he's trying to get every other prison in Oklahoma to use it, too. According to the Washington Post, 'The program tracks inmates as they proceed through food lines, to make sure they don’t go through the lines twice... It can help the prison track how popular a particular meal is, so purchasers know how much food to buy in the future. And it can track tools an inmate checks out to perform their jobs.' The program also tracks supply shipments into the system, and it showed that food supplier Sysco had been charging different prices for the same food depending on which facility it was going to. Another state representative was impressed, but realized the need for oversight: 'If they build on what they’ve done here, they actually have to script it out. If you have inmates writing code, there has to be a continual auditing process. Food in prison is a commodity. It’s currency.'"
Re:Food in prison is a commodity. It’s curre (Score:5, Insightful)
How can food in prison be a commodity? Are the prisoners not fed enough?
Is this a real question?
In prison, real currency is not allowed. However, humans are inherently commercial creatures, and consequently a system of barter results in the absence of any kind of hard currency upon which to base trade. What is needed is something with intrinsic value but which is also universally valued by most (if not all) of a population. Food is perfect for this: let's say you want something from another inmate. You may pass on eating a meal, instead giving it to the other guy in exchange for the thing you want. But, if you can go through the line twice, you can have your cake and eat it too.
Re:Teaching Software Development (Score:4, Insightful)
Awesome idea, with but one flaw... ...who is going to hire a ex-convict, especially in a role that most corporations consider to be sensitive? It could certainly spur entrepreneurial ideas, yes, but the vast majority likely won't be able to use the skills.
Kinda sucks IMHO, because many prisoners are in there because they had no real opportunity before they got arrested... but it is what it is, and no one is going to hire an ex-con to write code. Hell, they rarely get hired to do skilled blue-collar labor as it is.
Re:Food in prison is a commodity. It’s curre (Score:5, Insightful)
Got it in one.
The prison system hopes to convince inmates to integrate harmoniously with society once they are let out by teaching them that society is a heartless bastard and their sworn enemy. Then it creates the necessary conditions for a thriving black market so they won't go into the drug trade.
Re:popularity? (Score:5, Insightful)