Programming From Prison

(plus i make courses for them)

This is also the best way to support me is to support yourself becoming a better backend engineer.

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By: Preston Thorpe

[BlueBearOne]

I'm BLOWN AWAY that the correctional facility is allowing him to do this.

[Wurmhole-qg]

I'm already working in a Prison, A FreeBSD jail to be exact.

[gocryptoyourself]

Imagine calling in to work "yeah i can't come in I just got shanked"

[VarunG-yp]

Work from prison >> work from home

[pauliusmarkunas]

bro, maybe I need to go to jail to filnally land that junior position...

[kfk]

4:27
The modern prison industrial complex has roots in the USA's practice of slavery. Slavery in the USA was never fully abolished, it explicitly says so in the constitution, and this informs the modern day prison system. To say that the private prison system "is slavery" might be lacking some nuance, but it shouldn't be a controversial statement given the historical connection is pretty straight forward

[diegofloor]

He has a job, doesn't pay rent, gets food delivered to him..

[DustinShort]

Slavery is literally outlined in the 13th amendment as a legal form of punishment for crime. Forced labor is a common business practice, especially in for profit prisons where inmates make pennies an hour and pay marked up rates at the commissary. It's not chattel slavery, but that's a only a specific type of slavery (a particularly brutal form not commonly practiced, but industrialized by the US).

I'm curious how you got to "that's mental illness" beyond some cozy third grade feeling that slavery was ended by Lincoln and America was perfect ever after sentiment. Slavery isn't even illegal, it's just been rebranded. Studies abound about disproportionate sentencing of the law for formerly enslaved demographics. Mass incarceration for nonviolent crime. School to prison pipelines and the criminalization of poverty and actual mental illness.

Bold statement from Cotton Montana is gonna need more evidence than "trust me bro, I'm a programmer."

[x.rorschach]

I love everything about this guy's story. If you ever feel like life is unfair, or you're being held back, just think about Preston Thorpe. I'm so proud of this man and I don't even know him!

[LloydDewolf]

5:24 American prison system is modern slavery. While the U.S. represents roughly 5% of the world's population, it holds approximately 20% of the world's prison population. The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude, but it includes an exception clause: "except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted." This clause allows for the forced labor of incarcerated individuals.

[austinjones]

The claim that prison labor isn’t slavery doesn’t hold up under even basic scrutiny.

Across the U.S., incarcerated individuals are forced to work for pennies on the dollar — or in many cases, for no pay at all — while the state and private companies profit from their labor. They don’t get to choose whether they work. Refusing can result in punishment: solitary confinement, loss of privileges, or even sentence extensions. They are confined, controlled, and coerced.

Meanwhile, many prisons deduct fees for housing, medical care, hygiene, or phone use — so even the little money earned often never reaches the worker. The system produces billions in revenue while those doing the labor remain trapped in poverty and unable to build any security for when they’re released.

When a person is locked up, stripped of autonomy, and their labor is extracted under coercion with little or no compensation — that is slavery. The fact that it happens inside a prison doesn’t change the core truth. The 13th Amendment itself only permits this practice through a legal loophole — that’s not a moral justification.

Calling this anything other than slavery is a deliberate denial of reality. You might approve because everyone who's locked up are supposed to be criminals. It doesn't change the fact that its slavery.

[robchr]

Our parks and cemetaries are maintained by prison innmates. I don't know how much they are compensated but by guess is that is isn't a fair rate.

[bbstilson]

"Prison isn't modern slavery".

It's written into the constitution:

"Thirteenth Amendment: Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, **except as a punishment for crime** whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

People in prisons are forced to work for little to no money...what is the word for that? Why is it that most of the prisons are filled with black and brown people? Why are black and brown neighborhoods over policed?

Modern prisons are not equivalent to *chattel* slavery, but it is is absolutely a continuation of the philosophy that people are property and can be forced to labor.

You conflate what you think prisons are for (justice) vs what they are (punishment / profit). I can appreciate your tech opinions, but don't take experience and knowledge in one area as blanket wisdom in another. Become more educated on topics before being so vocally confident.

[katiescape]

Amazing video very inspiring to watch this morning. I also appreciate how Prime always wears his heart on his sleeve <3

[gus]

I really love these kinds of stories, they put hope for a better future back in my soul.

[jcwade]

It was so awesome to hear you share some of your brother's story. Thanks for sharing that it adds a ton to the idea of resiliency.

[clickrush]

Restorative justice is repeatedly proving itself to be extremely effective at leading to better outcomes for everyone. Kudos to turso for supporting this man's journey, and kudos to Thorpe for taking it on!

[wake-digital]

I would personally describe luck like this:
Luck is pretty much a synonym to "opportunity", but you need to be worthy of that opportunity, and you can only become that person through hard work.

[DiegoReis]

Preston is absolutely amazing, I had the opportunity to see this guy working on a call (yeah, technically I've already made an international call to a prison in EUA), and it was amazing. Very proud to work with him at turso.

[sebastians]

this really cheered me up for the day, it's so awesome :)