Remote Coding from Behind Bars: U.S. Startup Hires Programmer Serving Time in Prison

Preston Thorpe, an American serving time for drug trafficking at Maine’s Mountain View prison, has been hired as a full-time developer by the venture startup Turso. He works from his prison cell, as reported by TechCrunch.

Over a period of six months, Thorpe contributed to an open-source project led by Turso. His impressive skills caught the attention of the company’s leadership, leading CEO Glauber Costa to extend a formal job offer—he discovered only later that Thorpe was incarcerated.

Previously, Thorpe had collaborated with IT companies, working at Unlocked Labs where he developed educational software for prisons.

Thorpe began his programming journey while already behind bars. After being transferred to Mountain View, he gained access to online education, allowing him to enroll in a university.

He found employment after the state of Maine initiated an experimental program that enables inmates to secure remote jobs. Approximately 30 inmates are currently in the «earned work block,» which is available to those with good behavior. From their earnings, they contribute 10% to the state, while the remainder goes towards paying off any debts they may have.

State authorities report that Maine has notably low recidivism rates compared to the national average in the U.S. Among men, the rate of reoffending is between 21-23%, while for women it is only 9%. Those who receive education while incarcerated have an almost zero recidivism rate. Additionally, there has been a decrease in violence within the state’s prisons.