https://boingboing.net/2017/04/12/mother-necessity-where-would-w.html
Inmates in Ohio's Marion Correctional Institution smuggled computer parts out of an ewaste recycling workshop and built two working computers out of them, hiding them in the ceiling of a training room closet ceiling and covertly patching them into the prison's network.
Ars Technica has some more details, including a link to
Randall Meyer, the Ohio inspector general, said the prison's lax supervision allowed a situation akin to "an episode from Hogan's Heroes."
"It surprised me that the inmates had the ability to not only connect these computers to the state's network but had the ability to build these computers," Meyer said. "They were able to travel through the institution more than 1,100 feet without being checked by security through several check points, and not a single correction's staff member stopped them from transporting these computers into the administrative portion of the building. It's almost as if it's an episode of Hogan's Heroes."
The Inspector General's report (pdf) on the entire incident is available.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 15 2017, @04:42AM (16 children)
I wish the Department of "Corrections" did more to show these people that they can get paid good money to be productive members of society.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday April 15 2017, @05:13AM (10 children)
Speaking of homos, there's nothing more awesome than watching homos jam on the piano.
Specifically Elton John and Billy Joel. [youtube.com] Playing The Bitch is Back.
(Score: 0, Troll) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday April 15 2017, @05:26AM
He also did a version [youtube.com] with the sultry milk chocolate Tina Turner.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday April 15 2017, @05:30AM (8 children)
Whomever modded this down is the dirtiest of niggers.
(Score: 2) by lx on Saturday April 15 2017, @05:42AM (7 children)
It's a fucking miracle that you haven't been banned from this site as well.
You're not right in the head.
Seek help.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 15 2017, @06:10AM (6 children)
Not only his head! But you have to remember that SoylentNews is not actually a news aggregation site, it is in reality an experiment in a very waqko libertarian ideal of free speech. We want to know if an online community can survive Ethanol_fueled, Runaway1956, jmorris, and The Mighty Buzzard. If we can, anything is possible. But it is looking like the experiment may have negative results.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 15 2017, @06:16AM (1 child)
Any second now I expect a post from Runaway, about how once he was driving truck making a delivery to a Penitentuary, and he saw a bunch of the convicts with CRTs hid under their prison fatigues.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 15 2017, @08:01AM
Did they get transferred to a women's prison to finish out their maternity leave? :-P
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Saturday April 15 2017, @10:04AM (3 children)
a very waqko libertarian ideal of free speech.
You leave me wondering what that's supposed to mean. If you're against free speech, just say it.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 15 2017, @11:11PM (1 child)
I think it means "free speech including allowing public, unattributed statements."
Most societies with free speech laws do not have provisions (or at least many situations) to speak freely without anyone knowing the speaker's identity.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Sunday April 16 2017, @03:40AM
I think it means "free speech including allowing public, unattributed statements."
I see nothing waqko[sic] about that. Free speech is totally unconditional, or it's not free
Most societies with free speech laws do not have provisions (or at least many situations) to speak freely without anyone knowing the speaker's identity.
This is true. The American's 1st Amendment is probably the singular exception. Nobody else even comes close.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 17 2017, @07:06PM
If you're against free speech, just say it.
Wouldn't that be hypocritical?
(Score: 2) by mendax on Saturday April 15 2017, @05:28AM (1 child)
Well, maybe. However, the prisoners did commit several computer crimes when they set up and used this prison-made computer. I'm not sure I'd want them working for me.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 15 2017, @10:22AM
I'm not sure I'd want them working for me.
You'd rather have them working against you?
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 15 2017, @08:44AM
For computer skills, you have Hans Reiser. He wrote a killer filesystem for Linux called Reiserfs. You used to be able to install to it.
If he pairs up with a con man (for social skills) then you have quite the team.
The guards are often criminal too. They are hired from the same low-class places the inmates are mostly coming from. They assist the inmates.
Security is pretty damn bad. If we were serious, the inmates wouldn't be able to communicate with anyone who had ever been convicted or with any minor. If we were serious, the inmates wouldn't be able to touch anything other than smooth welded-down stainless steel -- that includes the bed, and no clothing either.
(Score: 3, Informative) by AnonTechie on Saturday April 15 2017, @10:33AM (1 child)
I grudgingly appreciate their efforts to build a PC in prison and use it for various scams. A detailed article about the different software used to hack into various networks is here [lifehacker.com]
Albert Einstein - "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 15 2017, @03:11PM
Tellingly, most of it is free software.
(Score: 1) by AlwaysNever on Saturday April 15 2017, @10:45AM (4 children)
So why is it bad that inmates have computers?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 15 2017, @12:29PM (3 children)
Tell this to the guy who's stealing your car: hey don't do it or I will send you to a place where you are clothed, fed, and given a PC.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 15 2017, @01:46PM (1 child)
If I had my way, I'd be able to tell that to all citizens.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 15 2017, @11:15PM
> If I had my way, I'd be able to tell that to all citizens.
100% this. People aren't thriving in society? How about we help them with basic needs and acquiring skills and knowledge? They deserve help, not to be defined as an enemy of non-criminal society.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 15 2017, @02:30PM
given a Windows 10 PC?
(Score: 4, Funny) by Gaaark on Saturday April 15 2017, @01:45PM
Guard Schulz: "I see nothing..... NOTHING!!!"
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---