29 SEP 2014 :: Etsy and prisons...selling on the Internet

Been studying this weekend: more Etsy blogs, videos, worksheets, and products already for sale in other shops to try to improve my own Etsy shop for the holidays and next year. I discovered that the profile page is a main destination for links to Etsy shops. Since then I have been trying to improve the information that is viewed there.

Online selling isn't easy. I thought it would be. Less expensive, more reach, greater possibilities. It takes time to market, to work out the details, to process, ship, grow. It has costs that were hard for me to bear...computers, printer, internet. In my situation, there have been other issues I hope to overcome soon. I think online sales will be bigger as time goes by. It is something we can't avoid.

I have mentioned to many that the prison systems can use the internet for income for themselves and for the prisoners that they keep. That would be job training for when they get released, something to continue when they get out, a more positive relationship between them and the court process. I have also suggested that prisons incorporate a closed computer system to improve education and communication opportunities for inmates.

Cells where inmates are isolated 24 hours a day would probably be the best place to start. They don't seem to have anything to do for hours on end, and many end up cutting themselves, creating havoc, and worse just to get out of the cell for a brief amount of time. It would be so much better to offer them a variety of programs and see what they choose. Computers can help inmates learn how to read at their own pace, increase their math skills, allow them to practice writing skills, and more.

I have been trying to solve some of our country's corrections problems since my children first became a part of the system. An "eBay for Inmates" would allow them to list and sell  the things they have the ability to produce. Many create artworks, lots of music makers, and drama could be included. I wanted to see inmates offer the world their testimonies, like on YouTube...hoping it would stop others from making the same mistakes.  The effects of drug addiction would be visible and could be addressed. It's hard to budget anything into the government structure, but I bet the GoPro cameras would be affordable. I heard on a news program tonight that one is less than $150.

We have to change the way things are done...because we can't keep putting everyone into prison.

People who steal need to pay for what they stole and more. The Bible says up to seven times what they stole. The process would include working and making payments and the incentive to get it paid faster than slower.  Years in prison doing nothing but sitting in a cell, moving from one section to another, doesn't improve the future for anyone.

I could go on for a long time, but I will stop here. I want to win the lottery so I can start all these changes myself...as fast as possible. Pray that GOD will do something...maybe you can pay for it.