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After a visit to San Quentin to determine if inmates had access to all the materials and information they would need to build the PPODs, NASA signed a two year Space Act agreement with the prison. Under the terms, NASA will provide educational opportunities for prisoners, while the prison would ensure that its residents are meeting their PPOD quota and building the devices to meet rigorous NASA standards. Read more: www.digitaltrends.com...
Regardless, that aforementioned two-year agreement is non-reimbursable, so no matter what NASA does with the devices, the prisoners are receiving both an engaging activity to pass the time and, hopefully, a useful education that can be segued into a career in the aerospace industry after they’ve been released from San Quentin. It’s far easier to avoid the temptation of criminal activity when you’re earning $50,000+ annually working in a government-funded fabrication plant. Read more: www.digitaltrends.com...
Originally posted by tracehd1
In poor taste? IMO NASA isn't going out and paying and educating us so that we may better ourselves and earn 50,000 a year. Instead, they seek out our prisoners and pay them nothing...show them how to build exactly what it is they need and call it an education.
Originally posted by Xtrozero
Originally posted by tracehd1
In poor taste? IMO NASA isn't going out and paying and educating us so that we may better ourselves and earn 50,000 a year. Instead, they seek out our prisoners and pay them nothing...show them how to build exactly what it is they need and call it an education.
So you are saying that NASA should pay 50k of our tax dollars for something they can get for free?...
Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
Heck, I wouldn't mind seeing NASA somehow offer these jobs out to the general public, but how exactly will that work? Traditionally it's by defense contractor. Home of the $20,000 hammer and $10,000 toilet seat. Personally, I'm a bit tired of being screwed by the Lockheed and BAE Systems types for making common items to places like the I.S.S. or Orion.
If they can save me, the taxpayer, some serious money AND make use of idle hands which are in prison anyway... Good for them. Unlike some states where prison labor may be in danger of getting back to the bad days of the South where prisons were almost stocked specifically for their labor pool value.....a place like San Quentin in the article need NEVER worry about running short of idle pairs of hands, unfortunately. There will always be plenty for that prison to have a capacity problem in the wrong direction.
So why not make use of them and tell the Defense Industry to go stick it until they might become downright human about pricing and labor costs.
Originally posted by tracehd1
reply to post by syrinx high priest
In poor taste? IMO NASA isn't going out and paying and educating us so that we may better ourselves and earn 50,000 a year. Instead, they seek out our prisoners and pay them nothing...show them how to build exactly what it is they need and call it an education.
...and I appreciate your thought provoking 3 minute comment. I feel my time was well worth it to Dicuss an issue I find totally Un-fair.
You want to rehab these people ? Why don't you have them picking up planet earth? Garbage? You want to break the law? You don't get a free college education...but I will give a free college education to the one that spent their time on earth deserving of it first!
edit on 22-9-2012 by tracehd1 because: Add
Prisoners earning 23 cents an hour in U.S. federal prisons are manufacturing high-tech electronic components for Patriot Advanced Capability 3 missiles, launchers for TOW (Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided) anti-tank missiles, and other guided missile systems.
Um..they are giving them that chance. They are gaining vocational skills.
So, under the " Terms " NASA will provide educational Services. My feelings...People that are having a hard time educating themselves so that they have a chance to live a decent future, why not give them that chance?
As part of that agreement, NASA Ames officials developed the educational plan to train inmates to build the small satellite components. The partnership program is designed primarily to help "a few select inmates develop their machining skills to make them more employable in the aerospace industry upon release,"
Your way hasn't worked and it's not fair. We still have abandoned buildings up where women, children, men are killed. In a lot of our cities, they look like 3 rd world countries. This Country is built on excuses these days....the guy that murdered, raped, stole, should not get the luxury of an education before the citizen that's walked the right path.
NASA...going broke? Pushed beyond its monetary system!? I don't have the info at the moment but I will be back later to talk about NASA's spending habits.
NASA's money problems aside...it comes down to what is right...first. 2ndly...the prison system doesn't work...coddleing these guys isn't working.
But it also boils down to this...you give a guy a fish a day..you teach him nothing! You teach a guy to fish for that fish, you have given him the greatest gift of all...to work for himself and not to take from others.
Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
reply to post by cranspace
They aren't doing it for free. They are doing it for the education in skills I'm paying quite a pretty penny for just Community College level Associates to get in another field. I'd say they get quite a deal out of it....especially if they CAN actually use this and have it respected to mean something in the Defense industry assembly line work outside of prison.
Inside prison? They aren't mean to make anything but use of their time to consider better ways to live later, back outside. Definitely not profit or savings, IMO.
@OP
...on education being available to the general public... Well, I will have to pay back all I am using to get my education but the upfront is paid with enough left for mortgage at the same time. If I were still in my early half of my 20's, Job Corps offers education in a full time environment for free........at least that's one way of putting it. I suppose quality of education there could stand some improvement.
NASA COULD go looking at Job Corps and I'd say that would be as good if not BETTER use of resources in training up people with productive futures. At least, it's a thought for that. Good thread. Lots to ponder.
You teach a guy to fish for that fish, you have given him the greatest gift of all...to work for himself and not to take from others.
As part of that agreement, NASA Ames officials developed the educational plan to train inmates to build the small satellite components. The partnership program is designed primarily to help "a few select inmates develop their machining skills to make them more employable in the aerospace industry upon release,"
Originally posted by benrl
reply to post by tracehd1
I don't even know where to begin to deal with that response...
First its not "my way" its what the prison systems are supposed to be in this country, a place where reform can happen (believe me I know its not that way, and thats an issue for prison reform.)
Your way hasn't worked and it's not fair. We still have abandoned buildings up where women, children, men are killed. In a lot of our cities, they look like 3 rd world countries. This Country is built on excuses these days....the guy that murdered, raped, stole, should not get the luxury of an education before the citizen that's walked the right path.
What you are describing is a result of Nafta, and our reps selling us out to corporate interest.
This country is the way it is because of simplistic narratives used to describe the problems we have, the problem is people unwilling to see the issues as they are and having a skewed view of whats actually going on.
NASA...going broke? Pushed beyond its monetary system!? I don't have the info at the moment but I will be back later to talk about NASA's spending habits.
First, Nasa is using prison labor because of how cheep it is, nasa is one of the most underfunded government agencies around. It also is among the first to face cuts anytime the budget comes up, and yes I said underfunded (compare it to any other en-devour this country under takes)
NASA's money problems aside...it comes down to what is right...first. 2ndly...the prison system doesn't work...coddleing these guys isn't working.
You ever been to prision? I have a friend that was beaten and killed (he was in for tax fraud funny that got him killed) So thats the part I will agree with the system is not working.
But it also boils down to this...you give a guy a fish a day..you teach him nothing! You teach a guy to fish for that fish, you have given him the greatest gift of all...to work for himself and not to take from others.
NOW your just contradicting yourself, do you want them trained or not? THESE JOBS WOULDN"T OF GONE TO OTHERS, they just wouldn't of gotten done, this is NASA maximizing its budget so they CAN do these things.
It would be like Apple taking the iphone to prison to be built, and you saying " They took our jobs" they didn't, those jobs simply would never go to Americans, they wouldn't exist outside of Slave labor or in this case prison labor.
edit on 22-9-2012 by benrl because: (no reason given)
Originally posted by tracehd1
Originally posted by benrl
reply to post by tracehd1
I don't even know where to begin to deal with that response...
First its not "my way" its what the prison systems are supposed to be in this country, a place where reform can happen (believe me I know its not that way, and thats an issue for prison reform.)
Your way hasn't worked and it's not fair. We still have abandoned buildings up where women, children, men are killed. In a lot of our cities, they look like 3 rd world countries. This Country is built on excuses these days....the guy that murdered, raped, stole, should not get the luxury of an education before the citizen that's walked the right path.
What you are describing is a result of Nafta, and our reps selling us out to corporate interest.
This country is the way it is because of simplistic narratives used to describe the problems we have, the problem is people unwilling to see the issues as they are and having a skewed view of whats actually going on.
NASA...going broke? Pushed beyond its monetary system!? I don't have the info at the moment but I will be back later to talk about NASA's spending habits.
First, Nasa is using prison labor because of how cheep it is, nasa is one of the most underfunded government agencies around. It also is among the first to face cuts anytime the budget comes up, and yes I said underfunded (compare it to any other en-devour this country under takes)
NASA's money problems aside...it comes down to what is right...first. 2ndly...the prison system doesn't work...coddleing these guys isn't working.
You ever been to prision? I have a friend that was beaten and killed (he was in for tax fraud funny that got him killed) So thats the part I will agree with the system is not working.
But it also boils down to this...you give a guy a fish a day..you teach him nothing! You teach a guy to fish for that fish, you have given him the greatest gift of all...to work for himself and not to take from others.
NOW your just contradicting yourself, do you want them trained or not? THESE JOBS WOULDN"T OF GONE TO OTHERS, they just wouldn't of gotten done, this is NASA maximizing its budget so they CAN do these things.
It would be like Apple taking the iphone to prison to be built, and you saying " They took our jobs" they didn't, those jobs simply would never go to Americans, they wouldn't exist outside of Slave labor or in this case prison labor.
edit on 22-9-2012 by benrl because: (no reason given)
Contradicting myself??? Errr ok! If we're talking about prisoners...NO...I do NOT WANT THEM TRAINED FIRST!!! I want the guy and gal starting out in life to be trained first. I want them to be taught how to fish.
Respectfully....did you read what I was saying!? I feel if you had...you wouldn't have tried to embarrass me or you by saying I contradicted myself.