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Which Computer Books For Prisoners?
Brian D. writes "I've recently begun working with a group that sends books to prisoners in federal and state prisons. We try to match their requests as well as we can. One request that we consistently have trouble filling is for computer books. This is not for lack of books, but because the prisoners' requests tend to be vague and their computer resources are obviously severely limited. Keep in mind that we send prisoners all types of books — from gardening and landscaping to cooking and sailing — about topics they don't have the resources to experiment with. With basically one shelf devoted to books on computing, what types of books should I tell them we should keep? What are the best types of books to send a prisoner who requests a book on 'computer repair?'"
...they say that prison is nothing but a graduate school to make better criminals. So anything from Microsoft Press, I suppose.
Life is hard, and the world is cruel
Send them certification books, i.e. Network+, A+, Security+ study books, as well as theoretical computer science books. These materials rarely require access to an actual computer.
If it's "computer repair" books that they really want, Mueller's Upgrading and Repairing PCs is one of the best books. I've not used it in a long while, but I think it's not as much hands-on stuff. I know it covers a ton.
Colin Dean Go a year without DRM
How about a book that won't become obsolete like repair books would be. Perhaps a book on algorithms or the fundamentals of electronics.
...nothing about tunneling protocols!
~Philly
At random:
Offline Outlaw In Texas
is looking for any books Unix/Linux I can get my hands on. Also very interested in privacy in all areas. If you can point me in the right direction or feel like teaching an old dog some new tricks, drop me a line. I'll answer all letters. Props to those who already have, you know who you are. William Lindley 822934, 1300 FM 655, Rosharon, TX 77583-8604.
On the Oregon Cost born and raised, On the beach is where I spent most of my days
What are the best types of books to send a prisoner who requests a book on 'computer repair'?"
I know of at least one prison who will appreciate such a book.
It depends on if you think prisoners are in prison to be punished or rehabilitated.
I think it's the former, so I recommend Miranda: The Craft Of Functional Programming by S. Thompson, which I encountered in my undergraduate course.
Heh, you can't do the time...
With a metal file in them??
No sig for you!!
Well... How about NONE!!!
Remediation isn't working. Turn jail back to punishment instead of providing for '3 hots and a cot' where they get to watch cable, hang out, workout, play sports, and ,in general, live better than those serving our country. If you do let them out of their cells, make them work. A make the work hard. Our jails are a virtually untapped wealth of labor. Put it to good use.
Hell, I don't even have cable tv.
Yep, I never spell check.
More incorrect spellings can be found he
I wholeheartedly agree - anything to make the U.S. even *more* like China is fine by me!
Let's see - the government already has the right to hold you indefinitely without charging you if they think you're a terrorist; listen to any phone call you make, anywhere, whenever, with the help of the phone companies; and executes more people than any other country on earth - except China.
Hey - why not install a firewall that prevents access to 'illegal content', like Australia is trying? As long as you're taking away freedoms, why stop with just prisoners?
---sheath
Based on this story, some inmates at least would welcome some more advanced material.
One swallow does not a fellatrix make
You know...
- International Unix Environments
- Computer security criteria, DOD standards
- The Pink Shirt Book, Guide to IBM PCs
- The Devil book a.k.a. The Unix Bible
- The Dragon book, a.k.a. Compiler design
- The Red Book a.k.a. NSA Trusted Networks
Hacking for Dummies, Spam Kings: The Real Story behind the High-Rolling Hucksters Pushing Porn, Pills, and %*@)# Enlargements and No Tech Hacking: A Guide to Social Engineering, Dumpster Diving, and Shoulder Surfing should educate them and prepare them for their release.
Yeah because the prison rapes, shitty food, violence, and overcrowding isn't punishment enough. Not to mention the fact that when these people get back out into society depending on the state, they will be second class citizens and will have a hard time finding work and keeping honest. You sound like one of those just-world assholes who think everyone in prison deserved to be there or that hell isn't punishment enough for breaking a law. Murder is one thing, theft and drug possession is something entirely different.
Do they have computers to try out what they're learning as they do so? If not, then learning practical things will be very hard; maths / logic / other general purpose theory might be more use (though without the ability to implement, "more use" might not be very much either...)
I mod down anyone who says "I will be modded down for this", regardless of the rest of their comment
Bitter, are you?
Please crawl back under your rock, and await the second coming of the medieval messiah you so obviously worship.
FWIW, I haven't got cable either, but I don't bitch about it.
One swallow does not a fellatrix make
Send them A+ certification books if they request something on computer repair. Maybe network+ as well. I would recomend All-in-One CompTIA A+ Certification Exam Guide, 6th Ed., by Michael Meyers I got my A+ cert using the 5th edition, and it was very well written (never too dry, and highly educational). I wouldn't go much beyond A+ or Net+, because A+ and net+ would be usefull books even if you had no computer to practice with. You could learn by rote and apply a lot of it when you had a computer later. Further exams such as MCSE would require, IMO, hands on while you are reading, as the concepts become more abstract.
that they're already proficient in filesystem design? :P
I mod down anyone who says "I will be modded down for this", regardless of the rest of their comment
I suggest books on how the internet actually works. Maybe while he is behind a series of bars he can see the folly in his series of tubes comment.
Monstar L
I'd send them some books about the individuals and companies that make-up the industry. Also, you might consider books about starting businesses in the IT field.
People who bite the hand that feeds them usually lick the boot that kicks them
It's fairly up-to-date:Patterson and Hennessy Computer Organization and Design.
It starts of really simply explaining the absolute basics, gradually going into technical details. Plenty of historical context, examples, lucid diagrams and a companion CD.
Also cures insomnia.
Stick Men
...would probably be well received.
something on jailbreaking iphones? Or maybe FreeBSD jails?
I was trying to imply that the mindset that 'prison is for punishment' belongs, if not to the medieval period, then to a time long, long ago.
If you do think that way, then you're obviously a benighted backwoods brutalist who has never been exposed to enlightened thought (damn - I love alliteration, don't you?), but then again I think you and I are unlikely ever to agree, so the point is moot.
One swallow does not a fellatrix make
I typed "etymology props" into Google and came away with "shorthand for 'proper respect'."
Decay! Decay! Decay! -Helium
At church this one lady was collecting books for prisoners, and she mentioned how quickly the books wear out at prison and that they always need more. So, I imagined that the prisoners must be throwing the books at each other, or writing notes on them, or hollowing them out to hide contraband. I imagine the prisoners want computer books because they tend to be pretty thick books. Am I completely wrong? What percentage of patrons at prison libraries actually read the books there?
my opportunity to freely express myself with the potential persecution and hangings and such
The Cuckoo's Egg?
"The cost of freedom is eternal vigilance." -Thomas Jefferson
First, let me say that this repsonse made me laugh. Not in the "Oh hey, look at the moron" sense, but I like the humor in your post. It's shows the intellect behind your opinion.
I don't think the point is moot. I have a malleable mind (drat, there's that alliteration again) and am open to hear others' ideas.
What little religious faith I have is in the Quaker mindset. They had something to do w/ the 'modernization' of the prisons (in Philly?). They believed the conditions were too harsh. As a human, I'd love to believe that enriching people while they are in prison would be a worthwhile endeavor. I don't see that happening. While growing up through high school, my family taught equality and acceptance. Once I started living my own life, I've seen that this might not be the best approach. Some sub-cultures in America have placed a mark of honor on those that have been incarcerated. They have not availed themselves to the oppurtunities that their "jaunt/bid" in prison provided to them. They are just 'goofing off' until their time is up. There is no deterrent to keep them from coming back.
Maybe there should be a tiered system. 1st time offenders are provided w/ the means to better themselves. Subsequent visitors have to earn their return to society.
I would be thrilled to see all prisoners learn a trade and once they were released, they could be a productive citizen. In its current form, prison sentences aren't doing this. This is why I advocate making prison harder.
One other issue I have is that once your sentence is complete, it should be forgiven. It should not hinder you. As a felon, you shouldn't have to appeal your right to vote or buy a gun.
I'm interested in hearing your stance. As I said, I have a mal^h^h^h flexible mind.
Yep, I never spell check.
More incorrect spellings can be found he
But who is to say that they were justly put in jail? Heck, who even says that the laws they were charged under are fair, that the trial they got was fair, that the jury was unbiased towards them? We don't know that.
Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
I sort of agree with you - with the proviso that much more must be done for first time minor offenders.
There are crimes (or combinations of a crime and a criminal) that should require lengthy incarceration, but the legal and correctional framework to allow for minor offenders to get the help they usually need because of failures in their upbringing while ensuring that dangerous or repeat offenders are kept separate from the rest of us just isn't there.
Quakers have done an enormous amount to reform prisons both in the US and the UK - William Penn in the US and Elizabeth Fry in the UK are prime examples.
Perhaps Obama needs a Quaker advisor on prison reform?
One swallow does not a fellatrix make
Sorry, that second sentence is annoyingly long. I should have previewed and edited it properly :o)
One swallow does not a fellatrix make
How about something that they can use?
Linux for Dummies
OpenOffice for dummies
Baring that
Windows for Dummies
Office For Dummies
they could be a productive citizen
Some fraction will never be. Some other fraction will not be given a chance to be. I suspect that adjusting the "prison harshness" slider will not change either number.
There are good reasons to limit prisoner coddling to "enough to prevent riots" though.
If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
If it exists, then give them a book called "Get Out of Jail for Dummies" lol.
manuals that cover concepts and algorithms. Programming references, language specific and generic, as well as analysis and design texts. Books with plenty of illustrations and diagrams as most prisoners will not have access to actual equipment they can open and tinker with. Having been there and done that I can say with great authority that there is very little job market in the USA for an ex-convict in the IT industry. This changes from generally true to absolutely true the higher in the organizational infrastructure you rise because of the fallout from 9-11 and the war on terror.
How about something on Internet Security, which has a focus on Penetration Testing?
Riiiight, because we all know that cops don't ever frame people. And that trials are always fair, and no on ever plants "evidence" or the media ends up influencing the trial. Not to mention on how all of society believes that everything that's illegal is really wrong *cough* drugs, copyright *cough*
Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
Probably be a good thing to pick general computer books, as probably some of them are looking for a more legal interest to keep them from returning.
Something like the encyclopedia of computing (was a time-life set about a decade or two back) each volume covered a subject in reasonable detail (input/output, graphics, ai, robotics, software, hardware, transportation, etc.) Very good to get an idea of what forms of computing there is out there and to find your niche in the world of computers. Probably a good class text on general computing would suffice also.
Programming language would be good, some introductory books as programming is in a large part a logic/problem solving exercise they could write code on paper and still get some skill out of it. C might be good though I think Java or Python would be easier to approach sans-computer as it is a lot more plain English syntax.
For those hwo want something more technical Maybe a computer concept text like Knuth's Art of Programming or
Principles of Interactive Computer Graphics (it is old but it is along the right lines I'm thinking of), etc. Linux Bible or some other exhausting tome of technical reading would be good too. While not having the hardware, they do help you get a grasp of the concept in the mean time.
"Enjoy what you're doing! If it becomes drudgery, you're doing it wrong!" - Jim Butterfield
It's the best book on computers, as it is also the best book on anything.
There is more than one reason to send people to prison. And some would disagree as to what those reasons are. Your comment suggests that you believe that punishment or retribution are the primary reason. However, prison can also be for rehabilitation and to simply remove criminals from society. If rehabilitation or societal removal were our primary goals, then making their lives a complete living hell is unnecessary. Especially if our goal is rehabilitation, making their lives unnecessarily unbearable could be counterproductive.
(Nate Dogg is about to make some bodies turn cold.)
Don't know if it's still in print but Rosch's Hardware Bible used to be a pretty good stand-alone resource.
I don't know why someone modded this insightful. I should have been modded ignorant and inflammatory.
First of all, the government does not have the right to hold you indefinitely if they think you're a suspected terrorist. They never had the right to hold American citizens in that way even though they attempted to. However, a couple of Supreme Court cases showed the government the error of their ways and they give trials now.
Second, the government doesn't have the right to listen to any phone call you make unless you have presented yourself as an imminent threat. The entire TSP wiretaps and the FISA changes are related to foreigners and only enter into Americans when they are talking to suspected terrorist or known terrorist. The government never has and never claimed to have the ability to pick up on the line and listen to your Aunt Jane's cookie recipe or how your daddy never hugged you enough.
The election is over, lets quit inflating things beyond what they are to incite people. If you really and truly believe in what you said, then you need to look around a little more.
Actually, most studies have shown that, for every dollar spent on rehabilitation (drug rehab; job training; religious training (yeah, I know, it's stupid)) that saves between 2 and 5 dollars in future incarceration costs, to say nothing of the benefit to society.
Not only that, those who go into generally 'hard' prisons tend to come out hardened criminals. There is a strict social order in prison, which doesn't exists in the real world; there is a strong incentive to become 'hard' in prison (self protection); there is a general sense of resentment. By putting people in "hard" prisons, we make it so that they tend to be more likely to recidivate.
Most crime is caused by poverty; poverty is caused by a failure of society. By rectifying these failures, we can eliminate most crime.
It's difficult to make hard and fast rules about these things, but murder is one of the crimes I had in mind when saying that some combinations of crime and criminal require a long period of incarceration.
Even then, there are circumstances in which I would prefer to see the offender rehabilitated - as an example, where the perpetrator is young, and the crime is motivated by something other than greed (I'm thinking vengeance, fear, or other circumstances here).
Someone who is prepared to take a human life while carrying out a robbery is obviously not likely to respond to rehabilitation, but a kid who lashes out with a knife through fear may well be ready to be a productive member of society after ten years or so of prison, given the correct guidance.
Those for whom hope is slim or none should at least be given something meaningful to do for their life term - not the worst jobs, but something according to their capabilities.
Some murderers are best dealt with in secure psychiatric units - Broadmoor (the most notorious unit in Britain) is just a few miles from me, and I have had the privilege to know some of the staff there, and their job is scary to say the least.
Your example of a prostitute is more difficult for me - I am in favour of criminalising the client rather than the prostitute, as I see the prostitute as the victim rather than the criminal.
Free education for prostitutes is a good idea, but naming and shaming the clients in their local community would be my preferred option.
As to reading - I read almost anything, though my preferred genres are crime (Iain Banks' Inspector Rebus novels are superb) and old sci-fi - Stanislaw Lem is the master.
Thanks for the discussion - and by the way, Quakers didn't just make porrige, they started Cadbury's, Fry's, Rowntree's, Lloyd's and Barclay's banks, and the Stockton and Darlington railway (the first steam railway in the world).
Truly a good religion, if ever there was one - I'm a non-practising Methodist myself.
One swallow does not a fellatrix make
Typical - an inmate convicted of a non-crime (ooh! he had scary pictures!). So the authorities treat him like shit, and he finds a way to strike back. Bully for him! Best of luck in the future!
In the modern age, shouldn't access to the internet be a right of every prisoner? It is just too important to modern life to cut off access. Some restrictions may be in order, but cutting off access entirely is just going too far. Let's not forget that most prisoners will be leaving prison some day. Preventing them from keeping up with what is going on in the world is an unnecessarily cruel punishment in a world in which we all have to keep updated just to keep from being overwhelmed.
Of course, a bigger problem is all the people in prison who shouldn't be there. America keeps 1% of adults in prison, and still pretends to be a "free" country. Most of the people in prison are there because of non-crimes like possession of drugs or pornography. Aren't we past that kind of moralistic bullshit? When will America grow up?
Ignoring the obvious 'unjust' laws such as prostitution and lesser drugs, wouldn't the current jail system indicate that the system isn't working?
My concern is the harder criminals who server only a few years. Instead of them coming out stronger criminals, let's give them a reason to not come back.
I do, sincerely, want to hear your opinions.
Yep, I never spell check.
More incorrect spellings can be found he
an inmate convicted of a non-crime (ooh! he had scary pictures!)
I'm no fan of laws against possession of data, but if you read the article, you get the impression that there's more to it. They found the pictures on his cell phone. People don't usually download pictures to their cell phone, so one may assume he took the pictures himself, using his cell phone.
Which is part of the reason why crimes against possession are a bad idea. If the police just charged him with possession of those pictures they might have decided that it was enough to put him in jail, and never used the resources necessary to investigate where the hell he got those pictures, which might be the important crime.
...the modern way.
After all, cakes are so analog.
Because the last thing you want, in prison, is someone sniffing your ports, looking for an unguarded backdoor.
Well, you know, unless you're the kind who's in to setting up "honeypots."
I got mine back in 1999 but I don't imagine it has gotten any harder. It was a very easy, very introductory computer test. However, for all that it is a useful one. For one, the A+ is one of the oldest certifications, so it has recognition. One thing you find with some certs is that not a lot of people, especially PHBs, have heard of them so they aren't so useful for finding a job. Well the A+ is pretty well known. It isn't high level, but then that's not what we are talking about here. It is the kind of thing that most places will say "Oh ya, I've heard of that, that is what computer support people have."
Along those lines it is useful because a number of low-level tech support positions desire or require it. Prior to folding, CompUSA seemed to like it for their support people. Likewise one of the local computer shops I've gone to boasts that they hire only A+ certified people. So it is a useful one to have if you want to get started in the world of computer support. Jobs doing basic computer repair (like Geek Squad) or level 1 help desk stuff are quite likely to look for A+ holders. I know mine certainly helped me get some student tech support jobs when I was going to school.
It is the type of thing that not only will give some useful knowledge that you don't need to have your hands on a computer for (though having a computer helps) but if they choose to go and get their certification, might help lead to some employment. While I certainly don't think it is worthless to have some books that are there just for people who want to learn for it's own sake, we need to be realistic that many prisoners don't have much education and that is perhaps part of the reason they commit crimes. Something like an A+ book could help some of them on the path to get a certification that could help get a job. While not many may follow through, if even one does and gets a productive job, then it is all worth while.
It's a bit pricey, but Donald Knuth's series "The Art of Computer Programming" doesn't require a computer. Kind of dense, but very useful.
A lighter choice might be any of Clive Maxfield's offerings. Unfortunately these have the nasty habit of going out of print. Luckily, "Bebop to the Boolean Boogie" is getting rereleased in a third edition in January. It's an enjoyable read and quite accessible.
Didn't mean to post that anonymously. Please read parent. Gah.
..Iain Banks' Inspector Rebus novels are superb...
Just a slip, I imagine, but the Inspector Rebus books are written by Ian Rankin, not Iain Banks.
[ ]Half Empty [ ]Half Full [x]Twice as big as it needs to be
Murder is one thing, theft and drug possession is something entirely different.
Hmm. I would have put theft on the other side of that divide. Murder and theft both inconvenience someone else - to different degrees, sure, but it's a quantitative rather than a qualitative difference. On the other hand, drug possession (or use, for that matter), affects nobody else.
They could practice passing packets using jungle telegraph or the toilets.
-- Gary Goldberg KA3ZYW 301/249-6501 AIM:OgGreeb Digital Marketing Inc., Bowie, MD
i absolutely agree with you. what disturbs me even more is the growing trend of "supermax" prisons where most inmates are put into solitary confinement devoid of any social contact or other mental stimuli. sensory deprivation is beyond cruel; it's a form of torture that can leave permanent mental/psychological trauma. often inmates report hearing voices and other symptoms of psychological degeneration within a few weeks of being put into solitary confinement.
i can understand that with some trouble inmates, like gang members, they can pose a threat to the safety of prison staff and other inmates. therefore, because of the prison system's limited resources solitary confinement is the only practical option. but if we want to call ourselves a civilized society, we need to observe basic humanitarian standards.
with a simple thin client and internet access, inmates can be given free access to great quantities of information and also provided with a healthy level of mental stimuli. it'd be both cost effective/practical and humane. plus, giving inmates internet access would ensure that they had contact with the outside world (friends, family, legal counsel, etc.) without the risk of contraband being smuggled through.
this way we could ensure that the poor underprivileged minorities are subjected to a Kafkaesque nightmare where the prison system is just locking people up and throwing away the key, giving people no recourse for wrongful imprisonment or abuse by prison officials.
His third time caught with verified child porn. That's not just "scary pictures", but illegal materials. That he was a repeat offender speaks of him as well.
For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
regarding which books they will accept. as a former 'guest' of the state of texas, i had books sent in from family... html reference books, networking, linux, etc. this was in the late '90s, and i read these books for several months before i was finally able to get into a business computer information systems class, which was mostly just learning windows office apps. the stuff i learned from the books, however, i was able to apply in free time in class. i ended up talking the teacher into letting me teach a series of lessons on html, it was kind of cool. the guidelines on the books aren't really consistent, as long as it's not 'black hat' flavored or have the word hacking in the title, it will probably make it through. the prison folks don't want to teach hacking to their charges, however... can you say identity theft? 2600 is probably out, as well... kudos to you for the book sharing, though. i received books from a program out of california, can't recall the name right now, and gave the address to several people i knew in there that didn't have family to send them things. you'd be surprised at the number of people in there that genuinely want to learn and better themselves.
Gay Marriage is illegal - is it wrong? Well, I don't agree with being gay, but I'm not going to force someone to be straight.
Still, There *are* some things that are wrong AND illegal. And because the system is broken and doesn't put away the real criminals, the cops have to take measures to put them away on their own. Honestly, don't you learn anything from american movies?
On the other hand, drug possession (or use, for that matter), affects nobody else.
you're trolling..
and I'll bite: possession doesn't hurt anyone. Unless someone else wants what you've got. Or you want to get possession and have way of buying it.
FWIW, cable isn't available. If it were, I still don't think I'd subscribe. Possibly, but I doubt it.
Yes, no worries, we've got hulu!
Instead of them coming out stronger criminals, let's give them a reason to not come back.
Yes, let us start a 3-strikes-and-you're-castrated system. That'll provide incentive, considering the number of men in the penal system.
I'm a non-practising Methodist myself
then you're not really a methodist are you.
Hey look, I'm a non-practicing weight lifter, a non-driving bus-driver, and a non-smoking smoker.
Honestly - if you're not religious, stop claiming to be religious and making all the real religious nutjobs look bad!
You're on slashdot. You're not having a private conversation. But you are using spell check and picking the wrong words. (though = those?)
One on hacking and system penetraion. Or "How to commit identity fraud".
Oh, you're not stuck, you're just unable to let go of the onion rings.
How much use will they be? (the following is based on my loose understanding of Canadian law and may not apply to American law)
A lot of entry level PC jobs are in retail shops (mom & pops, best buy, etc)
Generally to work in a retail place you have to handle money and therefore be bondable
if you have a criminal record you're not bondable
About the only chance they'd have is to open a shop of their own, but with what money?
Working at anything above a retail shop would generally require a degree and an explanation of where you've been for the last 2-10 years..
I suppose they're good for their own personal interest, but a lot of people are making comments along the lines of "this would help them learn a skill for a job"
Let's not forget the prisoners who may have been convicted of a computer crime (which generally means they're computer savvy, but not necessarily) and may not be allowed near computers for x years after release or their entire life.
This will simply make the "mark of honour" more valuable, as well as produce hardened criminals. It won't deter crime, thought; the Romans, with their habit of crucifying criminals or feeding them to lions in their softer moments, couldn't do it, so neither can you, no matter what you make the punishment into.
Oh, and harder punishments also give criminals more incentive to kill the witnesses.
Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
but if we want to call ourselves a civilized society, we need to observe basic humanitarian standards.
with a simple thin client and internet access, inmates can be given free access to great quantities of information and also provided with a healthy level of mental stimuli. it'd be both cost effective/practical and humane. plus, giving inmates internet access would ensure that they had contact with the outside world (friends, family, legal counsel, etc.) without the risk of contraband being smuggled through.
this way we could ensure that the poor underprivileged minorities are subjected to a Kafkaesque nightmare where the prison system is just locking people up and throwing away the key, giving people no recourse for wrongful imprisonment or abuse by prison officials.
ÂFriends, family,..Â, as well as victims, outside gang-members et cetera. I think that putting the prisoner per default in the victim role is not going to go well in a society that has known some prisoner-pampering, and the response from the well-behaving citizen. The reference to Kafka is a nice one, but a very small minority of those references are correct. Most of the times the punishment is a deserved one. Most of the times the prisoner is a selfish person that only thought of bettering himself, regardless of the victim(s).
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.
"Books on how to repair computers" sounds like "A+ certification texts" to me. A good entry-level trade, and not too controversial.
Paleotechnologist and connoisseur of pretty shiny things.
Prison Security Systems for Dummies
"You're awefully cute, but unfortunately for you, you're made of meat."
Well I could think of some algorithm books for which you need a good math background and no computer, "The Art of Computer Programming" comes to mind.
If you find some sufficiently educated prisoners this could be something to pass their time with.
But face it, about 20% of all Americans have a bachelors degree or higher. Academics tend to be underrepresented in prison so there is little reason to believe that you will find many takers for this kind of literature in prison.
The degree percentage per person can be found here:
http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/education/phct41.html
The statement that there are less academics in prison is supported here:
http://www.policyalmanac.org/crime/archive/education_prisons.pdf
Je me souviens.
I would recommend the Wizard book as one option. It's not for everyone, but for people who can make use of it, it should be perfect for study without a computer. LISP can be interpreted by hand, most of the book is very algorithm oriented.
It won't do much for someone's immediate employability, I suppose, but someone who groks LISP should be able to pick up other languages easily. If I was looking for a sharp programmer, someone who knew the languages I needed, and understood this book, would look pretty good.
.
you're trolling..
and I'll bite: Still not hurting anyone in those cases. If that was "hurting someone," then YOU would be "hurting someone" if I bought a pair of chopsticks from you and stabbed myself in the eye with them. Hurting myself or others with those chopsticks is my own fault, and not yours (the seller). Ford is hurting someone when I buy a car and run over a baby. Should we make it illegal to sell or possess cars that can be abused to cause harm?
How about this: people hurt each other. Sometimes drugs are involved. Sometimes guns are involved. Sometimes chopsticks are involved. Don't make drugs, cars, chopsticks, and guns illegal to own (because the law clearly does not work as intended in two of the cases). Instead, why not try to convince people to stop hurting each other?
New webcomic updated on Sundays: HERE
Well there's 2 sides to this coin, on the one hand you have inmates who are remorseful for what they did and eager to re-enter society. These people indeed I have no problem spending my taxpayer dollars on to fund computers and other devices to let them stay in tuned with the world.
But most of your types in State Prison? The hardcore, those who have no intention of leaving or functioning normally in society. Whom would view a computer and say "what kind of improvised weapon can I make to better make someone's life hell and/or kill them?" They're a$$holes pure in simple.
The trick is to separate one from the other here and fund accordingly...
...in bed
Start them off with network protocols, in particular, The Story of Ping
http://www.amazon.com/Story-About-Ping-Marjorie-Flack/dp/0140502416
I just attended a lecture from a space scientist, who was explaining the importance of basic science in the society, that is, it helps promote rational thinking. I could not agree more.
Computer has a "Science" in it. Try to get them easy, readable and popular computer books which not only teaches computers but also explains logical and rational way of doing things.
- Fundamentals of Computers, whichever you find, written ideally for school students (10th grade)
- Historical books on advancement in Computer Field.
- The Road Ahead by Bill Gates ( though not about Computers but people would recognize it)
- The Mythical Man Month by Fred Brooks.
Amusing books could help, like:
- Alice in wonderland
Senthil
Cruel and Unusual? Sure. But so is child porn.
That depends on how literal you're being with the term "child" there. Other countries (yes, I know, not the US) feel that someone is mature enough to choose their sexual partners at 16 or 17. If they're mature enough to do that, surely they're mature enough to choose whether or not they want to be photographed in the act?
Benford's Corollary to Clarke's Law: "Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced."
Someone doesn't necessarily "elect to live in America". It's harder to emigrate than you think.
Benford's Corollary to Clarke's Law: "Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced."
I bet they have plenty of time to cover pcintern. can they have a computer to play with inside the prison?
I'm non-practising in the sense that I don't go to church, and don't do the god thing.
But my attitudes and the way I live my life are influenced by my upbringing, so I still view myself as a Methodist.
One swallow does not a fellatrix make
I don't think the issue was his analogy ... it was the fact that he didn't know what the F he was talking about.
If a professor (or I guess a first grade teacher, really) was referring to the method by which data got from one place to another via "electronic tubes", yadda, yadda, yadda... ok. But Ted Stevens' "Internets" tubes were clogged because of online gaming - and someone sent "an Internet" to him and he couldn't get it because of online gaming (quoting from memory here, so I may off a bit). The tubes was just the easiest part to make fun of.
If you can read this... 01110101 01110010 00100000 01100001 00100000 01100111 01100101 01100101 01101011
Without a doubt, I would recommend "The Art of Computer Programming." Being ardently theoretical, one could read and grasp and even love the entire thing without ever using a computer.
First time offenders and repeat offenders shouldn't be mixed in prisons, I think that would help a lot and would have the rehabilitation attitude for the first timers.
But what's the point? Is solitude or confinement working to create a positive net gain to society? Is the person leaving reformed? Is there even enough of an immediate connection between crime and punishment that the criminal is deterred from later criminal activity? The problem I see is that those who decry such measures as coddling, and who want tougher punishment, rarely propose anything aside from fewer amenities or more time-- "more of the same"-- without examination of whether "the same" is working, driven by the overwhelming inertia of the penitentiary idea being "the method" for criminal handling.
Information wants to be free.
Entertainment wants to be paid.
You just want to be cheap.
How about, "Learn Computer Programming in Just Five to Ten Years."
Evil is the money of root.
"Honestly, I don't think there are words enough to describe how much of an asshole you are."
Ah, so you have a limited intellect and vocabulary also.
Here, try this one:
"Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelled of elderberries!"
See, that wasn't so hard was it?
*begone from 'my /.', troll!*
Down With Slashdot BETA!!! I've been around the corner and seen the oliphant; you can only abuse me from your perspecti
Instead, why not try to convince people to stop hurting each other?
Because people who are on drugs, or drunk, or in need of booze or drugs don't listen. I mean, if people acted rationally, we wouldn't have anyone voting republican.
You do bring up a point Mr. AC, but in the end it still boils down to 2 classifications as I think and refine my view.
You can also sub-classify within as simply A) A$$hole or B) Non-A$$hole
Either way I'd just rather not see those who have bad intents with a computer (the A$$holes) simply not be allowed near them.
...in bed
Murder is one thing, theft and drug possession is something entirely different.
Even a murderer is a human being and he deserves to be treated like such. Also prisons aren't about punishment, they should provide ways for rehabilitation.
Why is parent AC? If what you say is just and right, then put your UID on it.
What prisons are about is not necessarily what they should be about. Many people want prisons to be about punishing offenders, rather than being about protecting society from offenders. The former is revenge, which is a natural feeling but which does nothing to repair the harm done, nor to prevent its recurrence. The latter is more rational, more what human beings should do.
How a society treats its prisoners says a lot about the society's degree of civilization. People get to prison because they are broken and messed up in some way. If you look at the lives and family histories of these people, you'll generally find abuse and neglect of some kind. If a person has no respect for himself, why would he care about anyone else? Maybe he can be habilitated in prison ("re"-habilitation implies useful job and life skills that were lost; I submit that there were insufficient skills to begin with), and if not, then when he gets out, he'll screw up and go right back into the prison system again.
Perhaps we cannot afford to take chances of another "screw-up" from a murderer, but most of the others will serve their time and be released. They can either learn, through systematic neglect and abuse in prison, that there is nothing for them to gain in playing by the rules, or they can learn skills and self-respect, and that society will reward them with a decent living if they work hard and play by the rules when they get out.
One may choose to dismiss teaching job skills to prisoners as goody-two-shoes altruism, but I see it also as cost-effective prevention of recidivism.
"Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past." -- George Orwell
But from his perspective in his cell, aren't the bars in parallel, not series?
But what's the point? Is solitude or confinement working to create a positive net gain to society? Is the person leaving reformed? Is there even enough of an immediate connection between crime and punishment that the criminal is deterred from later criminal activity? The problem I see is that those who decry such measures as coddling, and who want tougher punishment, rarely propose anything aside from fewer amenities or more time-- "more of the same"-- without examination of whether "the same" is working, driven by the overwhelming inertia of the penitentiary idea being "the method" for criminal handling.
Three reasons for imprisonment:
1 Revenge for the victims
2 Punishment for the detainee
3 (Temporarily) withdrawal from society for re-education purposes
You may suggest something better (tested as 'effective'), and then we'll discuss yÃur proposal. Agreed?
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.