Outsourcing Unit To Be Set Up In Indian Jail 249
littlekorea writes "Indian outsourcing firm Radiant Info Systems has found yet another way to lower wages — hiring data entry clerks from a local prison. Some 200 inmates will be paid $2.20 a day to handle manual data entry tasks for Radiant's BPO deals in a pilot for the scheme. Radiant execs told the BBC that the deal will provide skills to inmates when they are released from prison. No doubt they would also be due for a pay raise." They're going to need to cut wages if they want to be competitive with the 100,000 US prisoners who work for 25 cents an hour.
Here's the world's smallest violin... (Score:1, Interesting)
If you wanted to make good use of your skills, how about getting a real job and working for a living like the rest of us instead of peddling pot or whatever got you busted?
You broke the law and suffered the consequences, you have no right to complain.
Re:25 cents? Not in the feds... (Score:1, Interesting)
how long until our governments start imprisoning citizens for a source a cheap labour of big bussiness?
we must privatize everything, including freedom!
Re:scary thought (Score:2, Interesting)
In India what we would consider jaywalking is known as "crossing the street". So no, your nightmare scenario would never happen. Otherwise everyone would be in jail.
Re:Trying to remain "competitive" I guess... (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm sick to death of calling into some company for support and struggling mightily to understand the person on the other end.
I realize that English is not these folks primary language, and for it being ESL for them, they do a good job. But when I call in for support to a company "based in the US", damnit, I expect to hear a US voice.
Except that a "US voice" doesn't necessarily help.
I've called technical support lines and gotten someone with an impossibly thick southern drawl before. At least that's what I assume it was. Maybe they were drunk. Regardless, it was clear that they were from the southern US, but I couldn't understand half of what they were saying.
Why is a clear speaking voice not a requirement for these positions?
I don't care where you're located geographically, as long as you can speak clearly.
Re:scary thought (Score:5, Interesting)
All perfectly legal and above board.
These days, of course, we have the private, for-profit prison, a truly brilliant institution. The outfits that run these are very reliable "law-and-order" lobbyists, and there was even a case a while back where they were paying a judge a per-inmate kickback for, shall we say, "referrals"...
Re:Here's the world's smallest violin... (Score:2, Interesting)
If he had an MCSE, then he didn't need to peddle pot, or whatever. Sure, if you are good at peddling pot and other drugs, you can make a LOT more money than the top MCSEs can ever dream of. But that's certainly not making use of an MCSE.
Once you are untrusted ... and being a felon makes one untrusted ... then you can't be trusted around anything you might know how to manipulate for your own benefit. And an MCSE just shouts "I know how to manipulate computers". IMHO, any felon should be stripped of their MCSE, or any other IT or engineering certification, and not allowed to get another for at least 10 years after release ... 10 years of scraping sidewalks on the outside!
Re:scary thought (Score:2, Interesting)
I drove through South Carolina recently and noticed signs that stated the penalty for speeding in a work zone was $200 and 30 days [ghsa.org]. On the surface, you might think that's reasonable to keep road workers safe.
But there are long stretches of highway marked as work zones with NO sign of workers, equipment, or construction. Nothing. And state law says workers do not need to be present. These were for all intents and purposes speed zones where getting caught got you 30 days in jail, and judging by the cars left on the side of the road (I counted 6 on one highway) it looks like they're enforcing it regularly.
plenty of crimes aren't crimes (Score:2, Interesting)
such as prison for marijuana use: that's stupid
however, i'm kind of sick of this tired line: "The US has 3% of the world's population and 25% of it's prison population. Numerically and per capita, we have the highest prison population on the planet"
the reason i'm sick of this line is that other countries aren't going "oh my gosh, what is wrong with the usa! so many people are in prison there!"
what those other people in other countries are saying is "man i'm thick of these thieves and murderers running around free. we need to crack down in these elements ruining our society"
in other words, other countries aren't bemoaning our high prison rates, they're bemoaning the thieves getting away scott free in their own country. high prison populations aren't necessarily a bad thing, assuming the laws make sense. it could just mean you have an efficient police and judicial system (relatively speaking), catching more crooks
lower prison populations in other countries in other words, isn't some sign of tolerance or enlightenment, its a sign of a corrupt and inefficient police/ judiciary. in those other countries with lower prison populations, you are simply talking about more assholes getting away with robbery and murder and walking around free
other people in other countries are actually envying the usa's high incarceration rate
Re:Because punishment should never stop (Score:3, Interesting)
But it's more fun to get all angsty and put other people down! We feel better about ourselves! We have a purpose! :'(
But if we think things through logically, it's like our lives are meaningless
Re:Here's the world's smallest violin... (Score:3, Interesting)
Horseshit. Your very first post was whining for sympathy because they made you work rather than giving you a cushy job because of your MCSE.
Really? Where did I "whine?" I only mentioned the BOP did not consider skills when assigning jobs. Actually, I had no interest in working for UNICOR. I worked less than 5 minutes a day for my $5.25 a month. UNICOR slaves work 6 - 8 hour days for their $.40 an hour. My point was almost NO ONE really works in a fed prison. Learn to read, hmm?
And, FTR, I haven't used any knowledge from my MCSE in many, many years. Rather pointless nowadays.
Then you whined for sympathy because you "didn't fully deserve to be there" and because "you weren't treated fairly". (I take both with a huge grain of salt because virtually every ex con I know says the same thing.)
Exactly where did I say "I didn't fully deserve to be there?" Or that "I wasn't treated fairly?" Show me the quote from this thread, mmkay? The system is fucked up, indeed, but you are simply making shit up, for whatever reason I cannot fathom.
And I suspect you know very few (if any) ex-cons. Otherwise you would have a tiny understanding of the system, which you clearly do not have.
Why so angry?