In the dim cells of Maine’s state prisons, laptops hum with the glow of remote work, challenging decades-old notions of incarceration. A pioneering program by the Maine Department of Corrections (DOC) allows select inmates to hold down high-paying tech jobs for outside companies, with some earning six-figure salaries. This initiative, blending rehabilitation, restitution, and the post-pandemic remote-work boom, is drawing scrutiny and emulation from correctional systems nationwide.

Launched amid the Covid-19 shift to virtual everything, the program has grown from 45 participants in August 2025 to an expanding roster, according to recent reports. Inmates like Preston Thorpe, who taught himself coding during years in solitary, now develop software for firms like Turso, a database company. ‘They treated me like a developer,’ Thorpe told Rude Baguette.

Under DOC policy, 25% of wages go directly to crime victims, 25% to room and board, with the rest saved or sent home—aimed at slashing recidivism through skills and financial stability. NPR’s Planet Money highlighted how this ‘real outside world wages’ model, sparked by laptops for education, is reshaping prison economies.

From Solitary to Software Engineering

Preston Thorpe’s journey exemplifies the program’s promise. Incarcerated since age 22, he endured a quarter of his sentence in solitary but used smuggled knowledge to self-teach coding. A 2023 LinkedIn message to Unlocked Labs’ Haley Shoaf led to his hiring. Now 33, Thorpe works full-time remotely, as noted in a July 2025 X post by investor Sheel Mohnot.

The Maine DOC partnered with Unlocked Labs, which provides tech training and job placement. Their site details how Thorpe and Cole Dykstra, another inmate coder, connected externally. ‘In May 2023, our Executive Director…received an atypical LinkedIn message’ from Thorpe, reads the Maine DOC announcement.

Cole Dykstra followed suit, landing roles that pay market rates—far above traditional prison wages of pennies per hour. This shift addresses a core correctional flaw: 60-75% recidivism rates nationwide, per federal data, often due to lack of employable skills upon release.

Tech Jobs in the Shadow of Bars

Participants work in cells on secured laptops, monitored via software that blocks unauthorized access. Roles span software development, data entry, and customer support, with one unnamed inmate exceeding $100,000 annually, as reported by Corrections1 on November 20, 2025. ‘Inmates working remote jobs, with some earning six figures, send 25% of their wages to victims,’ the article states.

Maine Public’s August 29 coverage revealed 45 prisoners employed by external firms, some out-earning corrections officers. ‘A few are working full-time, earning more than corrections officers. One is making well into the six figures,’ reporter Susan Sharon wrote, noting interest from other states.

NPR expanded on September 22: ‘Dozens of people incarcerated in Maine are allowed to have laptops and hold down remote jobs. In some cases, they’re making upwards of $60,000 a year.’ This fair-market pay contrasts sharply with federal prison jobs averaging $0.33/hour.

Restitution as Rehabilitation Engine

The victim’s share—mandatory 25%—ties labor to justice. DOC Commissioner Randall Liberty emphasized this in interviews, linking earnings to accountability. Funds have flowed to victims, with savings helping reentry; one participant reportedly banked tens of thousands for post-release life.

Planet Money’s November 7 episode detailed the evolution: ‘When people in Maine prisons started getting laptops…it sparked this new idea. Could they have laptops in their cells to work remotely for real outside world jobs, too?’ Hosted by Kenny Malone, it featured original reporting from Maine Public.

Ohio is watching closely. An Ohio Capital Journal piece on November 17 asked: ‘Should Ohio inmates be allowed to work remotely?’ Citing Maine’s success, it debates expansion amid remote-work normalization.

Security Safeguards and Scalability Challenges

Laptops are locked down with whitelisting, no internet browsing, and remote wipe capabilities. DOC staff oversee via video, ensuring compliance. Unlocked Labs’ model, funded initially by Doris Buffett’s Sunshine Lady Foundation, started with education before pivoting to jobs.

Critics argue it blurs punishment lines. A Paisano Online op-ed on October 14 called it a ‘crosses line,’ questioning privileges for violent offenders—though eligibility requires good behavior and non-violent status in many cases.

Proponents counter with data: Similar programs elsewhere cut recidivism 43%, per RAND Corporation studies on prison education. X discussions, like Larry Conger’s November 21 post, highlight pay disparities: ‘Imagine a prisoner making more than the guards,’ sparking 2,785 views.

National Ripples and Policy Horizons

States like Pennsylvania are piloting related reforms, such as Nordic-style restorative justice funded by Arnold Ventures, as John Arnold posted on X in March 2025. Maine’s model, however, uniquely leverages tech. NBC News’ Valerie Castro reported November 16: ‘One prisoner has earned a six-figure salary…other states are watching Maine as a possible model.’

Expansion hurdles include funding, vetting employers, and federal rules on prison labor. Yet, with U.S. incarceration costs at $80 billion yearly, the ROI is compelling: Employed ex-inmates recidivate 20-30% less, saving millions.

As remote work persists—30% of jobs per McKinsey—Maine’s experiment tests if prisons can evolve from warehouses to skill factories, potentially redefining American corrections.