Two Felons Save Prisons Millions

Our prisons have untapped talent. At the Joseph Harp Correctional Center, in Oklahoma, two inmates developed a software program that will save the prison substantial monies.

The software program tracks inmates in the chow hall to eliminate second helpings, the popularity of a certain meal in order to make future food purchases. The program tracks the tools used by inmates for their jobs.

It is the opinion of, Bobby Cleveland, an Oklahoma state representative, that if the program was used statewide, it would save the state up to $20 million. For example, the inmate’s software program also followed deliveries of food. It was discovered that a vendor was charging the state different prices for the same food item delivered to two different prisons in Oklahoma.

Kudos to the prison supervisor who looked beyond the criminal records of the two inmates. The supervisor, William Weldon, utilized the technological talent of the two inmates for a productive goal. The inmates and their coding work will require constant auditing in order to avoid the misuse of the software program. Food is a common currency among inmates.

This prison supervisor’s actions proved once again that inmates in prison can be productive and not just warehoused human beings.