Coding: Prisoner to programmer - BBC News

Computer software, apps and websites are all made using coding languages or code for short. But despite the importance of coding, there is a major global shortage of people with the right skills. One group in South Africa is working to change that and hopes to create better opportunities for former prisoners. Brothers For All is an organisation founded by former criminals who now teach coding both in poor neighbourhoods and in prison.
Video journalist: Christian Parkinson
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[@just1fix2004]

Great stuff man, it's the main reason why jails don't work because they don't help people, they're just a storage facility.

[@boweneveritt3400]

just1fix2004 Well, what do you want the government to do for law breakers...

[@Martin__]

@@boweneveritt3400 kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKOlhYpumNeIaas Prisons should be for rehab, not as a storage facility...

[@melikshah4564]

@@boweneveritt3400 better learn them html it will be very useful in their life

[@WisomofHal]

The Thumbnail made it seem like this man was hacking into South African Bank systems from solitary confinement. BBC talking about let's make a documentary of HTML and call it coding

[@jamjam3448]

😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 I knew this comment would come. Html 🤣🤣😅🤣

[@MohammadAli-pq9uu]

i saw html , css waiting waiting where is javascript???

[@claudeleason]

more news today are like: programmer to prisoner.

[@joegrizzly999]

You guys forget html can be used as an introduction to coding.

[@melikshah4564]

you are dumb lol

[@melikshah4564]

you know nothing

[@melikshah4564]

milkshake and Anonymous will get you

[@thatoneuser8600]

Maybe coding but definitely not programming, lol.

[@aerox6990]

When you realize it's just HTML

[@hiimabot8937]

Better than nothing.

[@jamjam3448]

😂 😂 😂

[@someoneontheinternetuvenev6268]

I hate it a lot when media shows coding as 0's and 1's, its stopping so many ppl from coding bcz it makes it seem like somethibg really hard while its fun rather than hard

[@Raemey]

i hate how they inform people with wrong information. they describe progarmmers as "prisoners" lol. they also made the guy in the thumbnail looking like he's hacking into an bank company. surely html is used as "hacking" lolll

[@jamjam3448]

Html and css🤣 😂😂🤣. I can't stop laughing 😂 😂 😂. Where's my favorite and weird language, JAVASCRIPT?

[@user-oh1hu7oh9y]

Better than nothing

[@unboxmodz8584]

everyone does it with clio or loic 2 i dont remember the tool 100%

[@mrhunterf2869]

2:32 Ubuntu Linux in prison!

[@clodgozon3968]

HTML's pretty easy, but it's still okay for them tho.

[@projectjt3149]

One more step to universal tech literacy.

[@hiimabot8937]

We all deserve a 2nd chance.

[@adamabdul364]

Nice one bro

[@petergames6280]

Wandaful job

[@kumarbhuyan2922]

2 nd chance use it well

[@rameeksims131]

Python is the best programming language.

[@noelj1492]

console.log("Laugh");

[@kjell159]

They're using ubuntu, that's nice. I don't use Ubuntu myself really (have installed it on my parents laptop though), I use other Linux distributions. Even though I don't know them in person I already like these guys, f*ck Windows. XD Btw, don't want to be a know-it-all, but HTML is a markup language, it isn't really programming in the sense of stating commands in an algorithm to the computer. It still has certain syntax etc. of course, it's a form of 'code', but it's not programming in the strict sense.

[@LlewellynvonHellen]

HTML AND CSS IS CHILD'S PLAY.

[@raynardvermeulen3528]

Llewellyn von Hellen thats what i said. haha

[@isao2952]

Yeah web design is 90% creativeness, 10% code; Still it's not child's play, you can do some really cool things with CSS animations.

[@LlewellynvonHellen]

+Benjamin TG, my first look at code was HTML. From there, I got into Turing complete languages. Writing HTML requires less concentrated thought than more "Adult" languages. *Ask Tim Berners-Lee how C compares to HTML. **_He developed it._*

[@anonymousplatypus9146]

allow it fam

[@LlewellynvonHellen]

How can you be black *or* mixed race? And why are you mentioning race? Good points about server side code and frameworks. _BTW, "Than" is a conjunction. "Then" is an adverb._

[@androidenthusiast7930]

1:55 Now that's one fine felon

[@professorbis7530]

Html boy

[@nurmuhammadnur6975]

An heres

[@siya3955]

not only the video is nonsense, but the comments as well

[@coreythomas3633]

Brand New why are you hear

[@siya3955]

did you mean "here"?

[@lazarsjojic]

@@siya3955 no he meant "eat shit"

[@yodaiam5235]

@@lazarsjojic Correct you are.

[@johnlemon8268]

bix_nood();

[@tomconti2903]

Come on bbc, some real reporting not this nonsense.

[@JustTheHighlights]

+tom conti So if you're not interested in a topic then it's nonsense?

[@tomconti2903]

Future Proof no stupid, if it's nonsense then it's nonsense.

[@JustTheHighlights]

tom conti Why is it nonsense?

[@siya3955]

because it is.

[@tomconti2903]

Alone Again right on.

[@GenerationNada]

This seems like a bad idea. People in prison usually are wronged by society or come from poverty. With a skill set like this, they may become hackers.

[@JustTheHighlights]

+jack “of” blades If you think they would go on to commit crimes when they leave prison then it doesn't matter what you teach them.

[@InsertWaffle]

That's like saying teaching a prisoner on how to become a chef, and when he/she leaves, they're going to commit murder with their chopping knife and chop their victims to pieces

[@projectjt3149]

At first, I was concerned about this as well. But if you look at some of the prisoners who are ready to get out of prison, this is a good opportunity. Some prisoners go back into prison because once they step out into the real world again, they have to start from scratch. As in nada. Nothing. Penniless. But with a program like this, now they have something to work with.

[@rebuffedsalmon6264]

You do realize that writing code and hacking are two totally different things right? Hackers can write code, but programmers are not hackers.

[@ZeroBudgetDevelopments]

ive got a very high level of selftaught skills im an ex con ive been offered work doing dark and illigal stuff and have refused i have commited many crimesin the real world and have a lot of convictions but my ideology towards computer use and where and how to apply my skills remain firmly routed on remaining on the light side dont get me wrong if i wanted to go dark i could but i never would my computer skills are all i have left to hang hope on that maybe one day things will change for me because of one of my games and i get a lucky hit so please dont be so cynical black computer programmers are not dangerous if treated fairly but if racism and classism ferment distrust towards black bi racil or ethnic minotity groups becoming skilled with code and it is percieved that somehow we should be restricted from or excluded from being appreciated for our skills work and efforts then maybe your worst nightmare will come true ex convict suffer a lot more social ill than any other group by saying that ex cons would use programming ability for naferios purposes just re inforce the negative social view that prisoners are bad ive taught myself everything there is to know about making games and my preffered language family is C++ C# and objective C i can read and writein these languages and html5 and css3 and can turn my hand to most languages subscribe to my page to support wolverhamptons firxt ex can ex gang banger self taught one man independent video games developer musician computer scientist and more i wish i could get a spot on bbc news my whole purpose is to reengage with the system as a rehabilitated ex convict and make programming cool to the inner city people of the U.K