Launch HN: Promise (YC W18) – Cost-effective, more humane alternative to jail

Re:Launch HN: Promise (YC W18) – Cost-effective, more humane... by ceejayoz on Tuesday March 20, 2018 @04:17PM (#16632157)

> Only on HN is app-based remote monitoring seen as potentially worse than being IN JAIL.

That's a bit of a strawman - there are other ethical issues at play here. Some people don't have smartphones. Others will have theirs lost/stolen/broken. Do they go back to jail?

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Re:Launch HN: Promise (YC W18) – Cost-effective, more humane... by Mononokay on Tuesday March 20, 2018 @04:32PM (#16632302)

Is it a local thing to have incredibly cheap smart devices? I can go a town over in the rural US and get a cheap smartphone for like $30 with a prepaid plan. Granted, I can't imagine it would be an amazing experience to use, but far better than jail.

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Re:Launch HN: Promise (YC W18) – Cost-effective, more humane... by ceejayoz on Tuesday March 20, 2018 @04:42PM (#16632406)

$30 is a lot for some people, especially those facing jail. Then there's paying for data. The app might not work on the older Android version that's on a $30 device. People with intellectual disabilities may struggle with a mobile phone.

None of these things should wind up determining whether a person goes to jail or not, but that's a risk here.

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Re:Launch HN: Promise (YC W18) – Cost-effective, more humane... by caf on Tuesday March 20, 2018 @07:41PM (#16633878)

Seems to me like there's a lot of people lying between "Can't afford $30 phone" and "Can't afford $5,000 bail".

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