Minor Computer Flaw Frees State Prisoners

Ruvim writes "A Michigan State audit shows a software glitch let some prisoners get out early. From the article: 'The audit report shows errors in the release dates of 23 prisoners between October 2003 and March 2005. Some were let out early, while others were let out late... A flaw in computer programming caused State jails to release 8 prisoners anywhere from 39-161 days early, prisoners who were doing time for everything from embezzlement and drugs to bad check writing.'"

Re:More technical information?

[Anonymous Coward]

The audit report..

http://www.audgen.michigan.gov/comprpt/docs/r47591 04.pdf [michigan.gov] [PDF]

Summary of PDF someone linked

[xenotrout]

The problem seems to be more than software or hardware. A state law created a sentence-length committee or ruleset that was not fully communicated to the Department of Corrections (DOC). The DOC tried to interpret the information they had and came up with a manual for calculating a prisoner's release date. This manual includes two non-automated methods of calculating a simple release date, and some informal rules for calculating release dates in general. The DOC later wrote (or contracted out the writing of) the program that automatically calculates release dates.

The audit being reported compared the computer computation with the two non-automated methods and found that none of the three gave the same results. Not only was the software inconsistant with the manual, but the manual was self-inconsistant. The software may have actually used the right calculation, but the audit seemed unable to determine what the right calculation was (because of the confusing state law mentioned earlier).

Re:IANAL So Questions For Those Who Know

[King_TJ]

Why wouldn't it? Yes, it's fraud - unlike situations where you were *voluntarily* extended credit. If you don't repay a debt, it's ultimately the problem for the person or business that chose to take the *risk* that you'd repay as promised. If you write a check, you're signing a paper promising that the amount of funds written on it will be paid. If those funds really aren't there, you've misrepresented the situation. In a way, it's much more akin to paying with counterfeit money you printed up in advance than to refusing to pay on a loan.

Re:Gracious Me!

[Martin Blank]

It's seemed to work fairly well for the past dozen or so years as prison sentences, particularly for violent felonies, have gotten stiffer and fewer inmates have been released. This tracks reasonably well with the decrease in violent crime. Even as the economy soured at the end of 2000/beginning of 2001 and continued to remain soft for the next couple of years, crimes didn't increase all that much.

Re:IANAL So Questions For Those Who Know

[Anonymous Coward]

The debtor's prison you speak of deals more with debts owed... not fraudulently attempting to pay off those debts (or creating new ones).

For example, not having the money to pay your taxes should NOT land you in prison. Fraudulently writing a check to cover the tax is.

Basically, you have an existing debt you got legally, and can't pay it. If you owe money, and can't work because you are in prison, then you will ALWAYS be in there unless someone else pays off the debt.

Neat little article:
http://credit.about.com/cs/credbasicsfaq/a/100501. htm [about.com]

Re:Gracious Me!

[Martin Blank]

That's a different story. California for the last year or two has been experimenting with a mandatory detox program for first offenses (and I think also first offense past the date of passage in case of repeat offenders). I'm not sure how well that's done at this point. I should go look.