There are good ideas and there are bad ideas. Then, there are the very bad ideas.
From USA Today:
Prisons in eight states let convicts work in jobs that give them access to Social Security numbers and other personal information for the public, despite years of warnings that the practice should end, a federal audit finds.
Most of the prisoners hold jobs processing public records for federal, state and local governments, according to the audit released this month by the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General. The work often involves entering and processing data on documents such as student transcripts, tax files, and health care and labor claims forms.
Wow, someone really put some thought into that one now didn’t they?
So, does this mean that the Federal audits are completely toothless exercises? Apparently. The eight states in eight states include Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and West Virginia. Now this begs the question. Are there any penalties that can be leveraged against these offending states? Maybe. But, I doubt that it will ever amount to anything more than a blip on the radar screen.
In order for anything to come of this it would require a data breach. Pure and simple. Not something to wish on anyone.
(Image used under CC from Don Solo)