# Prisoners build computers from canabalized parts; tap into state network.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prisoners-build-computers-from-canabalized-parts-tap-into-state-network/784361>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [April 13, 2017, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prisoners-build-computers-from-canabalized-parts-tap-into-state-network/784361 "2017-04-13T04:19:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![HeXen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@HeXen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeXen)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prisoners-build-computers-from-canabalized-parts-tap-into-state-network/784361/21 "2017-04-16T04:21:46Z")

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Why is this impressive? There are likely lots of hackers behind bars and hiding things in prison seems to have been a norm for a long time. Cobbling PC parts together is what many of us PC enthusiasts do anyways. Even educating yourself to hack among many other things is as easy as it is on the outside. The exception here being they had to physically hide what they were doing.

What is/was impressive was that anyone actually escaped Alcatraz, probably didn’t live but hey.

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**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prisoners-build-computers-from-canabalized-parts-tap-into-state-network/784361/22 "2017-04-16T14:51:54Z")

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[This article](http://www.computerworld.com/article/3189177/security/crafty-ohio-inmates-scavenged-parts-built-pcs-for-hacking-and-hid-them-in-ceiling.html) explains it better.

> [@](#):
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> Ohio Inspector General Randall J. Meyer could not believe the inmates pulled this off, building the PCs without being caught, running cabling and then connecting to the network. He 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 if it’s an episode of _Hogan’s Heroes_.”

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**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prisoners-build-computers-from-canabalized-parts-tap-into-state-network/784361/23 "2017-04-16T15:52:36Z")

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From Van Dieman’s Land to Hogan’s Heroes, prisoners know as much as their keepers about the state of the art.

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**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prisoners-build-computers-from-canabalized-parts-tap-into-state-network/784361/24 "2017-04-16T16:08:50Z")

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> [@jtur88](#):
>
> From Van Dieman’s Land to Hogan’s Heroes, prisoners know as much as their keepers about the state of the art.

Possibly more. Being caught and imprisoned doesn’t mean you are stupid. It just might have been due to an unlucky accident, a chink in your armor, or a bug in your bonnet.

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**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prisoners-build-computers-from-canabalized-parts-tap-into-state-network/784361/25 "2017-04-16T18:57:13Z")

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I wouldn’t be surprised if one or more of those involved isn’t there because of computer crimes.

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