# What, IYHO, would be good jobs to train inmates for? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 25, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iyho-would-be-good-jobs-to-train-inmates-for/497574 "2009-05-25T16:48:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iyho-would-be-good-jobs-to-train-inmates-for/497574/21 "2009-05-30T17:40:07Z")
Here’s an interesting [paper](http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_n2572_v121/ai_13388891/) on this subject. One point is that average IQ is 86. 15% of the prison population was below 75! One thing obvious in these stats is that some (many?) of the prisoners must have pretty high IQs. I haven’t read the whole thing yet. it’s kinda long. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iyho-would-be-good-jobs-to-train-inmates-for/497574/22 "2009-05-30T17:52:46Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Assuming basic literacy, the logical thing to do would be to train them for jobs that > > 1. Don’t require additional years of schooling and > 2. That the economy usually needs. > > Good machinists, fitter/welders, and truck drivers are almost always in short supply. Other factory jobs would be useful too - it’s not easy to find someone who’s got solid skills in things like powder coating. True, but you need to be sure the officials don’t assume literacy levels. You probably don’t want to put a law or medical school capable person in truck driver school. In other words, we need to actually _reward_ most of these people for their crimes. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2009, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iyho-would-be-good-jobs-to-train-inmates-for/497574/23 "2009-05-31T05:40:42Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Already being done, kind of. Inmates at the NC Women’s Prison answer calls to some state public-affairs bureaus, _like_ (but not necessarily _for example_) the board of tourism. So they’re kinda selling North Carolina. > > My ex-father-in-law used to work at the prison and used to tell stories. One was about a lady who was exceptionally good at this job, and who occasionally had to talk people out of wanting to meet her in person without saying that she was an inmate. One of her better lines was in the vein of, “Well, I live in what you might call a ‘gated community.’” That’s one of the funnier lines I’ve read in quite a while. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TheMadHun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iyho-would-be-good-jobs-to-train-inmates-for/497574/24 "2009-06-01T02:33:13Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > Also, recognize and acknowledge the vast void between violent and non-violent criminals. Not often. Most crimes are bargained down, so a violent, unsuccessful drive-by shooting will be prosecuted as non-violent parole violation associating with ex-con. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iyho-would-be-good-jobs-to-train-inmates-for/497574/25 "2009-06-01T02:37:37Z")
> [@TheMadHun](#): > > Not often. Most crimes are bargained down, so a violent, unsuccessful drive-by shooting will be prosecuted as non-violent parole violation associating with ex-con. Don’t do that. ---
**Author:** ![brix11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@brix11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brix11)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iyho-would-be-good-jobs-to-train-inmates-for/497574/26 "2009-06-01T14:53:07Z")
[Making prison guard uniforms](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/31/us/31escape.html). Seriously? ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iyho-would-be-good-jobs-to-train-inmates-for/497574/27 "2009-06-02T00:59:48Z")
> [@TheMadHun](#): > > Not often. Most crimes are bargained down, so a violent, unsuccessful drive-by shooting will be prosecuted as non-violent parole violation associating with ex-con. Is that true, that most violent crimes are bargained down to non-violent? No violent crime should be tried as any less than that. Bargaining for a lighter sentence in exchange for a plea, I can see. Courts are overloaded. Taking inappropriate drug problems out of the legal system and moving them to medical would help that. De-criminalizing just marijuana would be a big start. All we need to do is add “and marijuana” to all the alchohol laws. Sell pot in the same places we sell booze. Nice tax source, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Otanx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Otanx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otanx)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iyho-would-be-good-jobs-to-train-inmates-for/497574/28 "2009-06-02T13:26:45Z")
My idea is that any inmates that don’t have a HS diploma, or GED have to go to “school”, and get a GED. Some will not want to get one, but if the policy is that you have to go to class everyday then some will get it just to get their free time back. This way atleast they leave if not better educated then atleast with one more thing to stick on that resume to make up for the inmate of the month entry under awards. -Otanx ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iyho-would-be-good-jobs-to-train-inmates-for/497574/29 "2009-06-02T18:27:39Z")
I don’t know what the industry is like today, in this economy, but when I lived in Joplin, MO - a major trucking center - trucking companies were begging, _begging_, for drivers, particularly of the long-haul, gone-for-weeks-at-a-time variety. Sign-on bonuses in the thousands were not uncommon. IMHO, this would be the perfect job for a convicted felon - minimal contact with society, minimal supervision, and few demands (other than, you know, completing the route on time). ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iyho-would-be-good-jobs-to-train-inmates-for/497574/30 "2009-06-02T18:42:54Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > IMHO, this would be the perfect job for a convicted felon - minimal contact with society, minimal supervision, and few demands (other than, you know, completing the route on time). Would felons even be considered for a long distance truck driver position? Unsupervised access to many thousands of dollars worth of product seems to be the type of job that would do background screenings. That’s one of the primary issues here – many, many jobs, including very low level jobs, automatically disqualify you if you are a felon. I worked in a call center and this was certainly the case. Perhaps a program could be made where the gov’t helps subsidize the risk or provides insurance in these cases? While I realize in a way this is “rewarding” felons, there are truly limited options for such people to get proper jobs that actually pay enough to live on. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iyho-would-be-good-jobs-to-train-inmates-for/497574/31 "2009-06-03T12:14:55Z")
Good points, **fluiddruid** , and I like your idea about the gov’t insuring the risks (at least for the first year or so of employment). IMHO, training felons for the trucking industry is a win-win situation (if the trucking industry cooperates, of course). Felons get job skills, which (in theory) keeps them from doing nothing and finding ways of getting into trouble, and an industry that has a hard time finding employees gets a pool of potential workers. ---
**Author:** ![tygre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@tygre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tygre)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iyho-would-be-good-jobs-to-train-inmates-for/497574/32 "2009-06-04T00:42:52Z")
When I was in undergrad, we toured the women’s prison in Dwight, Illinois. The inmates there sew the uniforms for all prisoners throughout the state, and maybe jail uniforms as well. There was also a companion-dog traning program there. Inmates trained dogs to be companions and to assist handicapped people, doing things like opening the fridge, cabinets, turning on/off lights, etc. I believe another prison in IL is responsible for building/assembling office furniture used in state offices. Not sure which one that is now. I think cooking skills would be useful, as well as entry-level pc skills, machinist, factory labor, gardening, etc – anything, really. Too many of these people have no skills at all. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iyho-would-be-good-jobs-to-train-inmates-for/497574/33 "2009-06-04T01:31:27Z")
I dug up a recent paper[it’s a 32 page PDF](http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/centersinstitutes/pri/pdfs/GaesTheEffectivenessofPrisonEducationPrograms.pdf) on the effect of education on post-release prisoners. I have some trouble concentating, but it seems education, including higher education, has a positive effect. I don’t see why an ex-felon who works for it, just like anybody else, couldn’t fill a professional position. Some, I’m pretty sure, have become lawyers. I don’t want someone with engineering potential frying my hamburgers. I’m going to try later for a more thorough reading, but those who are interested might give it a read and post an opinion. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iyho-would-be-good-jobs-to-train-inmates-for/497574.md?page=1)