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Minor Computer Flaw Frees State Prisoners

Posted by Zonk on from the prisoners-develope-interest-in-coding dept.

Ruvim writes "A Michigan State audit shows a software glitch let some prisoners get out early. From the article: 'The audit report shows errors in the release dates of 23 prisoners between October 2003 and March 2005. Some were let out early, while others were let out late... A flaw in computer programming caused State jails to release 8 prisoners anywhere from 39-161 days early, prisoners who were doing time for everything from embezzlement and drugs to bad check writing.'"

23 of 268 comments (clear)

  1. Gracious Me! by geomon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A whole 39 days early? Shit! They ought to hunt that bastard down and horsewhip them.

    I guess I don't see the 'crisis' in this other than these people were low-level, non-violent offenders. If a software glitch had let a Ted Bundy out for another killing spree, I would probably be more concerned.

    Fact is, we have WAAAAAY too many people in jail as it is. If we were to only charge and incarcerate those who pose a safety risk to the rest of society then you could probably monitor the entire population in half as many facilities with 1/3 of the correctional officers we have today.

    The US incarcerates people largely to punish them for stuff they do to themselves. If someone is strung out on meth or heroin, they are only a problem to me if they steal something to support their habit. Considering the fact that theft is already a crime, I can't see how locking up people who are casual users and functioning addicts helps society at all.

    These prison systems are getting too complex, too expensive, and are locking too many people away for "their own good".

    Rep. Rick Jones: " 8 people is too many. I understand the department found another 15, that's too many, even 1 is too many."

    Fuck that. Notice he shed no tears for the few that were held too long? I'm glad some of them got out early. The only sad thing in this story is that somebody got held longer than they should have.

    --
    "Rocky Rococo, at your cervix!"
    1. Re:Gracious Me! by Seumas · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The US incarcerates people largely to punish them for stuff they do to themselves. If someone is strung out on meth or heroin, they are only a problem to me if they steal something to support their habit. Considering the fact that theft is already a crime, I can't see how locking up people who are casual users and functioning addicts helps society at all.

      These prison systems are getting too complex, too expensive, and are locking too many people away for "their own good".

      It's essentially the Catholic Justice System. You're locked away not so much because of offenses you commit that harm other people, but for offenses that upset god and baby jesus and mother mary and all that jazz. How else do you explain laws intended to punish 18 year olds having sex with same-sex 15 year olds with 17 years in prison, but punish 18 year olds having sex with female 15 year olds with 15 months in prison? It's all about morality and just because something is considered "immoral" by many doesn't make it harmful to anyone.

    2. Re:Gracious Me! by geomon · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's essentially the Catholic Justice System.

      I think the Baptists would take exception at your excluding them from this party. They like controlling people too.

      You're locked away not so much because of offenses you commit that harm other people, but for offenses that upset god and baby jesus and mother mary and all that jazz.

      And it is only getting worse. Every year some dumbass politician screws the whole world up with just six simple words: "There ought to be a law!"

      How else do you explain laws intended to punish 18 year olds having sex with same-sex 15 year olds with 17 years in prison, but punish 18 year olds having sex with female 15 year olds with 15 months in prison?

      You can't. Neither can you rationalize incarcerating a person who does drugs, keeps their job, pays their taxes, and doesn't commit any other criminal offense. They *try* to rationalize it by claiming that "they need treatment" as though the criminal justice system is any substitute for medical therapy.

      It's all about morality and just because something is considered "immoral" by many doesn't make it harmful to anyone.

      Aye. That about sums it up.

      --
      "Rocky Rococo, at your cervix!"
    3. Re:Gracious Me! by LaughingCoder · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Fact is, we have WAAAAAY too many people in jail as it is

      That reminds me of a funny headline in the NYTimes. Paraphrased it said:

      Jails overflowing despite record low crime rates!"

      I doubled over laughing. The Times brainiacs actually didn't understand how the jails could have so many people in them when crime was down so much. Obviously, they deduced, this proved that the Bush administration was locking up innocent people. In reality they were actually too stupid (or blinded by their biases) to realize that crime was down BECAUSE the jails were full. Cause and affect. Go figure.

      --
      The more you regulate a company, the worse its products become.
    4. Re:Gracious Me! by Jesus_666 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      There' one flaw in that argument: If $DRUG was legal, people wouldn't need to give their money to some shady dealer who in turn gives his money to a drug syndicate. The FDA would make sure that there are certain standards it has to meet and the legal system would make sure that the huge corporations owning the market (if $DRUG === "marijuana" that would most probably be the tobacco companies) would stay mostly clean. Shady people would make less money because they couldn't compete with the mass production that the big corporations would do - and the prices associated with it. Especially if production and/or sale are coupled to strong regulation.

      Yes, most drugs (including alcohol and tobacco) are detrimental to one's time/revenue ratio, which is a reason to legislate against them. But "if people buy this stuff the money goes to bad people" is not, because the money only goes to bad people because no one else can sell the stuff.

      --
      USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
    5. Re:Gracious Me! by Jesus_666 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Why, the American legal system certainly does a good job deterring me from ever moving there...

      --
      USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
    6. Re:Gracious Me! by Chrononium · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Wow. That statement wasn't laced with intolerance. Naw. I mean, heck, you could even be a Chinese army official carrying out the extermination of Tibetans because well ... their system is religious and therefore silly. Why would anyone want religion when you can offer progress?

      Law is an external deposit of morality. Your idea of deciding if something is immoral is testing to see if it hurts someone. You want law to minimize suffering. You think suffering is a Bad thing (absolute moral qualifier). There are a lot of people who think morality is different. You not only look down upon their beliefs, but also think that your way is better. That your version of morality is better. Sounds like you're the same type of person as those other people ... you care passionately about how to determine good from bad. Law is where society as a whole comes together and lays down the morality of the majority because nearly all functioning human beings care deeply about morality.

      To speak more specifically on the idea of incarcerating adults (18 year olds) who have sex with minors (less than 18 years old), you could always consider the utilitarian argument. For the most part, 18 year olds have a chance at economic freedom, the ability to support themselves independent of their parents -- a productive member of a capitalist society. A minor does not necessarily have that same freedom (because of other laws, like child labor laws). That restriction is important because it sends a clear signal to those tempted to drop out of school that there will be barriers (and also theoretically involves the parents, implying a certain strength of the family). Why would you drop out of school? Because you're pregnant or because you're suffering from the emotional and psychological issues generated from considering and implementing abortion. High school drop outs usually are a liability to society, unable to produce much with their lives (they influence limited amounts of happiness). That family having to support their child for a longer period of time will spend less money. Furthermore, this effects the amount of retirement funds allocated to the family and to the child. A high school graduate will not be able to put in as much into the social security system as a college graduate. This stresses an already stressed (perhaps even broken) system. This law is in support of family. And that isn't just a moral statement, but a measurable economic factor as well. Japan is beginning to show signs of familial breakdown and their health system is having to support more people in their old-age. Same for Europe.

      Don't assume the problem is so small.

    7. Re:Gracious Me! by mdwh2 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Law is an external deposit of morality. Your idea of deciding if something is immoral is testing to see if it hurts someone. You want law to minimize suffering. You think suffering is a Bad thing (absolute moral qualifier). There are a lot of people who think morality is different. You not only look down upon their beliefs, but also think that your way is better. That your version of morality is better.

      Law and morality, althoug related, are not the same thing. If you think that actions which don't harm others are nonetheless wrong, then fine, that's your opinion. But you need a stronger argument than that to show why we should put such people in prison.

      If one's argument is that the law should enforce (your interpretation of) God's will, then sure, you can say their opinion is just as valid as my opinion of what the law should be. But that's exactly what the OP was pointing out when he called it the "Catholic Justice System" - ie, law which enforces the rules of a religion.

      To speak more specifically on the idea of incarcerating adults (18 year olds) who have sex with minors (less than 18 years old), you could always consider the utilitarian argument. For the most part, 18 year olds have a chance at economic freedom, the ability to support themselves independent of their parents -- a productive member of a capitalist society.

      Not when they're in prison they don't. If you're so worried about people's productivity, why are we so eager to put them in prison because their actions might have led to someone getting pregnant whilst as school, and then might drop out of school?

      Why would you drop out of school? Because you're pregnant or because you're suffering from the emotional and psychological issues generated from considering and implementing abortion.

      Yes, it's well known that sex between same-sex members can produce children, that's why we punish them even more harshly!

      Don't you see? Try to justify it all you like, but these laws are not explained by the problems of teenage pregnancy.

      And that isn't just a moral statement, but a measurable economic factor as well.

      I take it you've factored in the productivity lost by locking up people (even where it didn't result in pregnancy), or the cost to keep them in prison?

      Also, do you advocate raising the age of consent to 21 - after, we can't have people dropping out of University. Perhaps we should clamp down on it altogether - we can't have people's careers being affected by childbirth.

      Japan is beginning to show signs of familial breakdown and their health system is having to support more people in their old-age. Same for Europe.

      Erm, evidence? Here in the UK our families are doing quite well, and our national health system, though under strain, is still something better than the US.

      As for retirement, that is a problem due to having too few children! If anything, we need to encourage people to have more children, even at a younger age.

  2. Consolation. by Seumas · · Score: 5, Funny

    On the bright side, they'll be getting their free subsidized digital television converter boxes any day now. Welcome to freedom, gentlemen!

  3. It must have been Linux by Omnieiunium · · Score: 4, Funny

    because it is free!!!!

    I am sorry. Very sorry.

  4. Minor Flaw? by futurekill · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What the hell is considered a major flaw?

    --
    The gates in my computer are AND, OR and NOT; they are not Bill.
  5. now if only..... by dclaw · · Score: 4, Funny

    they would end my probation early!

    --
    feeling lonely? grab a balled up pillow for company
  6. Well... by Chickenofbristol55 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Even though it was only a month early, who is to say this "minor.... ahem" computer glitch couldn't let people go years earlier than planned. Also, shouldn't jails use both computer and physical data to make absolutely sure they are doing things properly? I know someone is going to comment to this saying that I'm wrong and that it would take too much space for all those filing cabinets, but I say that this is a perfect example of how I'm right. If they had another medium to check their data, this minor computer glitch could have been found and fixed, with no mess-ups.

    --
    public class null extends java applet { System.out.print ("Tabula Rasa"); }
  7. Obligatory Remix by BandwidthHog · · Score: 3, Funny

    Microsoft: Minor Computer Flaws Imprison Free States

    --

    Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?
  8. Released prisoners late? by totallygeek · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Uh, if I were doing time, you better believe I would be aware of my official release date!

    --
    Click here or here.
    1. Re:Released prisoners late? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Having had a "friend" involved in the corrections system I find the article missing some key information. Most states hand out time with both a minimum and a maximum sentence. So, far example, one might get a 3 1/2 to 7 year sentence. This means you may get out on parole after 3 1/2 years but if they don't want to let you go they can keep you 7 years. Also, sometimes one could get time taken off the minimum sentence for participating in various "programs" or for "good behaviour" but the max usually stays where it started. So, what I want to know is this: Did they keep them earlier/later than their minimum sentence or maximum sentence? If one got kept later than their minimum sentence, there is no legal recourse because technically they can keep you to the max. If they let you out before your minimum sentence then they really screwed up in letting you out earlier. If they let you out later then your maximum sentence then they really screwed up and could face a lawsuit. Anything in the middle would just suck for one side, but not be a legal issue.

  9. The opposite happened In Dallas TX by billsoxs · · Score: 5, Interesting

    About 9 months ago, The Dallas (county) Sheriff's office installed a new prisoner tracking program and LOST some of the prisoners. No, they did not let them out, they were still in jail but they could not find them. (Even the prisoner's lawyers could not find them!) Here is an example: http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/dn/latestnews/stor ies/052905dnmetjailstuck.f2f1f79c.html

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    1. Re:The opposite happened In Dallas TX by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Me. The Third World consists of countries aligned with neither the United States nor the Soviet Union. The United States is by definition a first-world country and will always be.

  10. Summary of PDF someone linked by xenotrout · · Score: 4, Informative

    The problem seems to be more than software or hardware. A state law created a sentence-length committee or ruleset that was not fully communicated to the Department of Corrections (DOC). The DOC tried to interpret the information they had and came up with a manual for calculating a prisoner's release date. This manual includes two non-automated methods of calculating a simple release date, and some informal rules for calculating release dates in general. The DOC later wrote (or contracted out the writing of) the program that automatically calculates release dates.

    The audit being reported compared the computer computation with the two non-automated methods and found that none of the three gave the same results. Not only was the software inconsistant with the manual, but the manual was self-inconsistant. The software may have actually used the right calculation, but the audit seemed unable to determine what the right calculation was (because of the confusing state law mentioned earlier).

  11. computer flaw? how about organisation flaw? by J0nne · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I have two questions:
    1. Why don't they check the (paper!) documents they got from the judge or whoever to check if they really were sheduled to go out that day?
    2. Why didn't those let out late complain? I'm sure the first thing they did when they got there, was circling the date they were sheduled to get out on their calender. (or whatever paper they have handy). How can they not notice that they passed that date by x weeks?

    This story as usually raises more questions than it answers...

    OT rant: Damn you, shallow news outlets! If a plane crashes, we get every small detail about what happened on which second, and what systems failed, but when it's about computer problems, all they can tell us is a 'glitch' or a 'crash' happened because they think it would be 'too technical'. Just tell exactly what the problem was, and if people don't understand completely, it's not going to kill them.

  12. Re:Terrible representative by commodoresloat · · Score: 4, Funny
    No, he really meant bad check writers.

    No; he really meant bad Czech writers. It was a reference to Tedd Sallay and Josef Simanek.

  13. This would suck... by brian0918 · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Finally, my parole hearing has come and I'm ready to see my family again!"

    "No, actually, it says here that you're scheduled for execution. Any last requests?"

  14. Wow... by TheLink · · Score: 3, Funny

    Talk about free software :).

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