I once had a good friend who told me he was unemployable because he was a felon. I don't know what he did but it must have been bad.

I suggested that he learn to write code then hang out his shingle as a self-employed consultant.

It turned out that he was already quite a good computer programmer as he was taught how while in prison. But even so he refused to consider self-employment because he was so down on himself.

While there are many reasons to pursue self-employment, among them is that one cannot find paying work any other way.

The reason prisons are commonly called "Penitentiaries" or "Correctional Institutes" is that they are not intended for punishment but to set their inmates onto a righteous path.

At least that was the stated intention at one time.