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A new experiment in remote work … from the inside

Overview

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A new experiment in remote work … from the inside

Planet Money

Nov 07
Planet Money

Planet Money

Nov 07
OverviewShownoteHighlightsTranscriptChaptersPins

Shownote

When people in Maine prisons started getting laptops to use in their cells for online classes and homework, it sparked this new idea. Could they have laptops in their cells to work remotely for real outside world jobs, too??? And get real outside world wag...

Highlights

In a quiet corner of the American prison system, an experiment is unfolding that challenges long-held assumptions about who can work, learn, and earn behind bars. What began as a necessity during the pandemic has evolved into a groundbreaking program where incarcerated individuals are not just educated but employed—remotely, full-time, and at market wages.
09:36
Preston passed a background check because it only covered seven years, and he had been incarcerated for nine.
15:45
The first inmate with remote work earned $27,000 and used it for personal and family support
18:18
25% of inmate wages go to victim restitution, another 25% to court fees and fines after restitution is paid
21:31
Maine inmates earning $40,000–$90,000+ through remote work pay only 10% of wages to prison, unlike Alabama's 40%

Chapters

Could prison be a place to build a real career?
00:00
How one coder landed a six-figure job from behind bars
12:11
Where does the money go when inmates earn fair wages?
18:18
What it really costs to work remotely in prison
21:31
Can every incarcerated person get a shot at a remote job?
27:45

Transcript

Sarah Gonzalez: This is Planet Money from NPR. Susan Sharon: Well, tell me, who is this Darlene George? And how did she make all this stuff happen? Darlene George: Oh, my God. Well, Darlene George is a regular young lady from Brooklyn, New York. Sarah G...