IP: Wired News: Prisoners Await Y2K Day

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 09:44:33 -0700
To: farber () cis upenn edu
From: Spencer Ante <seante () earthlink net>


Dave,

This is an investigative feature I worked on for a few weeks. Think your
readers might be interested in it.

-- Spencer

For full story go to:
http://www.wired.com/news/news/politics/story/15627.html


                          Prisoners Await Y2K Day by Spencer Ante (seante () earthlink net)

10:30 a.m.  15.Oct.98.PDT Among the more outlandish scenarios envisioned by Year 2000 doomsayers is that the millennium 
bug will crash prison security systems and open the razor-wire gates, setting loose untold numbers of violent and 
dangerous offenders.

"People joke about doors flying open but it's a very distinct possibility," said Dr. Michael Harden, an information 
technology manager for 20 years and author of a study that examined the impact of Y2K on embedded computer systems.

"If a prison is defined by its ability to control inmates and all these systems break down, a prison ceases to become a 
prison and it becomes a hotel." . . .


Copyright © 1994-98 Wired Digital Inc. All rights reserved.