A nonprofit that teaches incarcerated people to code is expanding a program that provides students with laptops so they can continue learning beyond prison classrooms.
, which teaches coding skills to incarcerated people, is expanding a program that provides them with Chromebooks so they can continue their learning outside of specialized prison classrooms.The Last Mile says the laptops allow participants to spend more time learning and ensures their studies won't be disrupted by quarantines or lockdowns.
Until recently, classes were limited to desktop computers under the direct supervision of Last Mile staff, who hold the classes remotely over video chat. Participants never have direct access to the internet and have no connectivity at all outside the classroom.: The Last Mile is one of a growing number of projects using technology as a means of reducing recidivism and improving economic outcomes for those who are incarcerated. Chris Redlitz, the San Francisco venture capitalist who founded The Last Mile, notes that the U.S. has the highest rate of incarceration in the world, and recidivism rates hover at about 50 percent.
What began with a dozen students now has provided Chromebooks to several times that number. Another 50 to 100 Chromebooks are now on order or in hand to further expand the program.The Last Mile executive director Sydney Heller said the program allows students to avoid interruptions in programming.