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A comment on Whistleblowers: Software keeping inmates in Arizona prisons beyond release dates. Parent comment

Re:Whistleblowers: Software keeping inmates in Arizona priso... by elihu on Monday February 22, 2021 @07:20PM (#26232414)
Yeah, I'd assume this would be resolved real quick if the state (or the contractor responsible for the software) had to pay out, say, $100 per inmate per day that they improperly spent in jail past the end of their sentence.

That this problem is allowed to persist seems like an indication that the people in charge believe that prisoners have a low probability of successfully suing the state for damages.

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Re:Whistleblowers: Software keeping inmates in Arizona priso... by alasdair_ on Monday February 22, 2021 @07:35PM (#26232512)
Don’t they have liability? Unlawful imprisonment is a crime. I am amazed that the people can’t sue about this.
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Re:Whistleblowers: Software keeping inmates in Arizona priso... by elihu on Monday February 22, 2021 @07:45PM (#26232576)
You'd think so, but then again it's not too surprising to find that not everyone enjoys the same rights in actuality that we all theoretically have. And rights can vanish if they aren't actively asserted and the people affected don't know about them. The article mentions that the people who have had the problem addressed were the people that complained, or who had family on the outside who knew what was going on.

If Arizona isn't acting quickly enough, I wonder if the federal government can get involved?

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