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Kevin Mitnick Free Today
Well, today is the day Kevin Mitnick is supposed to be released from prison. But many people feel sites like this one aren't obsolete quite yet, because it's hard for ex-cons to make their way in society, and it may be especially hard for Kevin because he isn't allowed to use computers - and that's what he's good at, right? A 60 Minutes interview with Kevin is scheduled to run this Sunday. Hemos comments, "One wonders if having a microphone near violates his Draconian parole computer restriction orders." An interesting - and scary - thought.
I seem to recall NTK (http://www.ntk.net) suggesting that with all these restrictions on using, associating with or learning about high-tech stuff, the only job Kevin will be able to get is a judge :-)
60M: Mister Mitnick, do you believe that your computer restriction orders will limit your hacking activities?
KM: SKREEEEEEEEAWWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
GONNNNNNG GONNNNNG
KSSHHHHHHHHHHH
Ahh - My eye!
The doctor said I'm not supposed to get Slashdot in it!
First off, I'm all in agreement with everyone who said that Kevin's treatment by the Justice System was a shambles. Alot of the system got trampled in the rush to prosecute, and I'm not happy with the way the whole thing went at all.
That said, I'm really tired of people bitching and moaning about how Kevin really didn't do anything, and how his sentance was soooooo long, and now he has all these nasty restrictions, etc...
Some facts and a reality check here, folks.
So please, stop with the bitching about the sentance length. It's not atypical, nor unreasonable.
Bottom line here, folks, is that Kevin broke the law bigtime. I don't condone how he was prosecuted, but he IS a criminal.
And, if you look at things in the big picture, white collar crime is seriously UNDERPUNISHED in the US. White collar crime is generally far more damaging to society that violent crime (whose affect is more focused), in that white collar undermines the economic system itself. A couple of years washing dishes in a minimum-security facility doesn't even come close to being either a deterent or reasonable punishment.
One last thing here. The terms of his parole are neither onerous, nor atypical. Yes, for most of us, living without a computer would be unpleasant, but it is VERY easy to live a life without coming into contact with computers (or at least, in ways that Kevin's parole stipulate he not use them - and the ATM argument is bogus. He should have no problem using an ATM, if I read the parole terms right). Sorry, Kevin, you're just going to have to go be something other than an IT worker. That still leaves lots open. And plenty of non-menial jobs, too.
An old aphorism hold here:
If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.
I have no sympathy for Kevin himself. None at all. I'm still mad that prosecution handled itself the way it did, and I think they need to be taken to task for it, and heavily chastized. But I still don't feel for Kevin one iota.
And, I'm sorry, but /. shouldn't be interviewing convicted felons.
-Erik
There are always four sides to every story: your side, their side, the truth, and what really happened.
...Why is he being portrayed as some kind of Digital Martyr?
I can take a stab at this, by answering "why not" first.
Not because he was doing something right -- he wasn't. He acted exactly as you describe. The thing to keep in mind about his case is NOT Kevin Mitnik's behavior, but the behavior of the legal system and law enforcement authorities, and that gets under some folks' skin (like mine).
If I had raped or murdered someone and been busted the day Kevin got caught, I'd have (on average) long been out by now, walking the streets you walk. I'd have gotten a trial WAAAY before he did. It's likely my arrest warrant would have been (gasp) actually signed by a man in a black dress...I could go on, but I think you see my point. We can rightly say that what he did was wrong, and hope that he & people like him will leave the computer systems that many of us rely upon to keep food on the table alone, but that doesn't change the fact that we live in a country that has a constitution and a bill of rights. Ignoring them once, for an unpopular person, means possibly also ignoring rights again. Someday, either of us might need them, and the time to think about that is BEFORE you're in a jail cell staring through metal bars.
The above is ONLY my personal opinion, it has nothing whatsoever to do with my employer.
JMR
Try e-gold - (contact me). I'm NOT e-
... See subject.
60 minutes may not get the questions that we want to hear. Ok, so we'll find out on Sunday.
Steven Rostedt
Steven Rostedt
-- Nevermind