In Maine, prisoners can work remote jobs from their cells. Some make six figures. : Planet Money : NPR (https://www.npr.org/2025/11/07/nx-s1-5601059/maine-prisoners-remote-work-jobs) (Economy) (https://feeds.npr.org/1017/rss.xml) (https://media.npr.org/chrome/favicon/favicon-180x180.png) (https://media.npr.org/chrome/favicon/favicon.ico) (https://media.npr.org/chrome/favicon/favicon-96x96.png) (https://media.npr.org/chrome/favicon/favicon-48x48.png) (https://media.npr.org/chrome/favicon/favicon-32x32.png) (https://media.npr.org/chrome/favicon/favicon-16x16.png) (https://prod-eks-bundles.npr.org/dist/bundles/persistent-css-2c3e84a5bb7be68a031d.css) (https://prod-eks-bundles.npr.org/dist/bundles/persistent_medium-css-2c3e84a5bb7be68a031d.css) (https://prod-eks-bundles.npr.org/dist/bundles/persistent_large-css-2c3e84a5bb7be68a031d.css) (https://prod-eks-bundles.npr.org/dist/bundles/fonts-css-2c3e84a5bb7be68a031d.css) (https://prod-eks-bundles.npr.org/dist/bundles/newsStory-css-2c3e84a5bb7be68a031d.css) (https://s.go-mpulse.net/boomerang/MBVDT-3L9KY-36ZMJ-SPSAR-JR833) (//xhogljaxzamf62iqisja-f-92e2e9cd5-clientnsv4-s.akamaihd.net)  (Optimizely Internal Frame)    Accessibility links Skip to main content  (https://help.npr.org/contact/s/article?name=what-are-the-keyboard-shortcuts-for-using-the-npr-org-audio-player) Keyboard shortcuts for audio player        Open Navigation Menu   (/) (NPR logo)    (/newsletters/) Newsletters    (https://shopnpr.org) NPR Shop     Close Navigation Menu   (/) Home   (/sections/news/) News Expand/collapse submenu for News  (/sections/national/) National  (/sections/world/) World  (/sections/politics/) Politics  (/sections/business/) Business  (/sections/health/) Health  (/sections/science/) Science  (/sections/climate/) Climate  (/sections/codeswitch/) Race    (/sections/culture/) Culture Expand/collapse submenu for Culture  (/books/) Books  (/sections/movies/) Movies  (/sections/television/) Television  (/sections/pop-culture/) Pop Culture  (/sections/food/) Food  (/sections/art-design/) Art & Design  (/sections/performing-arts/) Performing Arts  (/lifekit/) Life Kit  (/sections/gaming/) Gaming    (/music/) Music Expand/collapse submenu for Music  (https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/) All Songs Considered   (https://www.npr.org/series/tiny-desk-concerts/) Tiny Desk   (https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/606254804/new-music-friday) New Music Friday   (https://www.npr.org/sections/music-features) Music Features   (https://www.npr.org/series/770565791/npr-music-live-sessions) Live Sessions     (/podcasts-and-shows/) Podcasts & Shows Expand/collapse submenu for Podcasts & Shows  Daily (/programs/morning-edition/) () Morning Edition   (/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/) () Weekend Edition Saturday   (/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/) () Weekend Edition Sunday   (/programs/all-things-considered/) () All Things Considered   (/programs/fresh-air/) () Fresh Air   (/podcasts/510318/up-first/) () Up First    Featured (https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510311/embedded) () Embedded   (https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510310/npr-politics-podcast) () The NPR Politics Podcast   (https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510333/throughline) () Throughline   (https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510374/trumps-terms) () Trump's Terms    (/podcasts-and-shows/) More Podcasts & Shows     (/search/) Search   (/newsletters/) Newsletters   (https://shopnpr.org) NPR Shop       (/music/) (NPR Music) (NPR Music)   (https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/) All Songs Considered   (https://www.npr.org/series/tiny-desk-concerts/) Tiny Desk   (https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/606254804/new-music-friday) New Music Friday   (https://www.npr.org/sections/music-features) Music Features   (https://www.npr.org/series/770565791/npr-music-live-sessions) Live Sessions      (/about/) About NPR  (/diversity/) Diversity  (/support/) Support  (/careers/) Careers  (/series/750003/press-room/) Press  (/ethics/) Ethics       In Maine, prisoners can work remote jobs from their cells. Some make six figures. : Planet Money When people in Maine prisons started getting laptops to use in their cells for online classes and homework, it sparked this new idea. Could they have laptops in their cells to work remotely for real outside world jobs, too??? And get real outside world wages?Today on the show, we have reporting from Maine Public Radio’s (https://www.mainepublic.org/people/susan-sharon) Susan Sharon about a new experiment in prisons: remote jobs … paying fair market wages, for people who are incarcerated. Listen to Susan’s original reporting here: - (https://www.mainepublic.org/2025-08-29/in-maine-prisoners-are-thriving-in-remote-jobs-and-other-states-are-taking-notice) In Maine, prisoners are thriving in remote jobs and other states are taking notice - (https://www.mainepublic.org/maine/2025-08-28/cracking-the-code-how-technology-and-education-are-changing-life-in-prison) Cracking the code: How technology and education are changing life in Maine prisons Related episodes:- (https://www.npr.org/2021/02/02/963466410/fine-and-punishment) Fine and Punishment  - (https://www.npr.org/2020/07/17/892465005/getting-out-of-prison-sooner) Getting Out Of Prison Sooner - (https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2015/03/13/392862778/episode-610-the-prisoners-solution) The Prisoner's Solution - (https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2016/07/20/486785422/episode-713-paying-for-the-crime) Paying for the Crime (https://www.planetmoneybook.com/) Pre-order the Planet Money book and get a free gift  . /  (https://n.pr/3HlREPz) Subscribe to Planet Money+  Listen free:  (http://n.pr/PM-digital) Apple Podcasts  ,  (https://n.pr/3gTkQlR) Spotify  ,  (https://n.pr/3Bkb17W) the NPR app  or anywhere you get podcasts. (https://n.pr/3h92GwS) Facebook  /  (https://n.pr/3FqLuws) Instagram  /  (https://n.pr/3sGZdrq) TikTok  / Our weekly  (https://n.pr/3zrFvUB) Newsletter  . This episode was hosted by Sarah Gonzalez with reporting from Susan Sharon. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler with reporting help from Vito Emanuel. It was edited by Jess Jiang, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by Robert Rodriguez, with help from Patrick Murray. Alex Goldmark is  Planet Money’s executive producer.      (https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510289/planet-money) Planet Money   (Planet Money)     NPR   (https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510289/planet-money) Planet Money   LISTEN & FOLLOW (Apple Podcasts Logo)         (Spotify Logo)      (Email icon) Fill 10 Created with Sketch.          (https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5)  NPR App  (https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/290783428?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory)  Apple Podcasts  (https://open.spotify.com/show/4FYpq3lSeQMAhqNI81O0Cn)  Spotify  (https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ed82f32a-6150-4bbe-bd80-90492cc2727d)  Amazon Music  (https://www.iheart.com/podcast/28457189)  iHeart Radio  (https://music.youtube.com/library/podcasts?addrssfeed=https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml)  YouTube Music  (https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml)  RSS link         A new experiment in remote work … from the inside (A new experiment in remote work … from the inside) (A new experiment in remote work … from the inside) (https://www.npr.org/2025/11/07/nx-s1-5601059/maine-prisoners-remote-work-jobs)  November 7, 2025 4:00 PM ET     By  (https://www.npr.org/people/605388008/sarah-gonzalez) (Sarah Gonzalez, photographed for NPR, 2 August 2022, in New York, NY. Photo by Mamadi Doumbouya for NPR.)    (https://www.npr.org/people/605388008/sarah-gonzalez) Sarah Gonzalez    ,  (https://www.npr.org/people/nx-s1-1239/susan-sharon) Susan Sharon    ,  (https://www.npr.org/people/421149614/jess-jiang) (Headshot of Jess Jiang)    (https://www.npr.org/people/421149614/jess-jiang) Jess Jiang    ,  (https://www.npr.org/people/933079708/sam-yellowhorse-kesler) (Headshot of Sam Yellowhorse Kesler)    (https://www.npr.org/people/933079708/sam-yellowhorse-kesler) Sam Yellowhorse Kesler         A new experiment in remote work … from the inside (https://chrt.fm/track/138C95/prfx.byspotify.com/e/play.podtrac.com/npr-510289/traffic.megaphone.fm/NPR9062923990.mp3?t=podcast&e=nx-s1-5601059&p=510289&d=1696&size=27139431&sc=siteplayer&aw_0_1st.playerid=siteplayer)  Listen  ·  28:16     28:16    (https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5601059)  Transcript   Toggle more options  (https://chrt.fm/track/138C95/prfx.byspotify.com/e/play.podtrac.com/npr-510289/traffic.megaphone.fm/NPR9062923990.mp3?t=podcast&e=nx-s1-5601059&p=510289&d=1696&size=27139431&sc=siteplayer&aw_0_1st.playerid=siteplayer)  Download    Embed     Embed (<iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5601059/nx-s1-mx-5795454" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"></iframe>)  < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5601059/nx-s1-mx-5795454" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">    (https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5601059)  Transcript        ()   Maine prison inmate Preston Thorpe talks with his team during a group work session from his cell at the Mountain View Correctional Facility in Charleston, Maine, on Aug. 18, 2025. Kevin Bennett/For Maine Public  hide caption    toggle caption   Kevin Bennett/For Maine Public    When people in Maine prisons started getting laptops to use in their cells for online classes and homework, it sparked this new idea. Could they have laptops in their cells to work remotely for real outside world jobs, too??? And get real outside world wages? Today on the show, we have reporting from Maine Public Radio's (https://www.mainepublic.org/people/susan-sharon) Susan Sharon about a new experiment in prisons: remote jobs … paying fair market wages, for people who are incarcerated.  Listen to Susan's original reporting here:  (https://www.mainepublic.org/2025-08-29/in-maine-prisoners-are-thriving-in-remote-jobs-and-other-states-are-taking-notice) In Maine, prisoners are thriving in remote jobs and other states are taking notice  (https://www.mainepublic.org/maine/2025-08-28/cracking-the-code-how-technology-and-education-are-changing-life-in-prison) Cracking the code: How technology and education are changing life in Maine prisons   Sponsor Message       Related episodes: (https://www.npr.org/2021/02/02/963466410/fine-and-punishment) Fine and Punishment   (https://www.npr.org/2020/07/17/892465005/getting-out-of-prison-sooner) Getting Out Of Prison Sooner  (https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2015/03/13/392862778/episode-610-the-prisoners-solution) The Prisoner's Solution  (https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2016/07/20/486785422/episode-713-paying-for-the-crime) Paying for the Crime   (https://www.planetmoneybook.com/) Pre-order the Planet Money book and get a free gift  . /  (https://n.pr/3HlREPz) Subscribe to Planet Money+   Listen free:  (http://n.pr/PM-digital) Apple Podcasts  ,  (https://n.pr/3gTkQlR) Spotify  ,  (https://n.pr/3Bkb17W) the NPR app  or anywhere you get podcasts.  (https://n.pr/3h92GwS) Facebook  /  (https://n.pr/3FqLuws) Instagram  /  (https://n.pr/3sGZdrq) TikTok  / Our weekly  (https://n.pr/3zrFvUB) Newsletter  .  This episode was hosted by Sarah Gonzalez with reporting from Susan Sharon. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler with reporting help from Vito Emanuel. It was edited by Jess Jiang, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by Robert Rodriguez, with help from Patrick Murray. Alex Goldmark is  Planet Money's executive producer.    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