New York May Give Inmates Thousands When Released

Without a doubt, it's potentially problematic for people to get back on their feet after being released from jail. If you have been incarcerated for any length of time, the process of getting back to normal as a member of a free society takes an adjustment.

For some folks, the adjustment is relatively easy, and things get back to normal pretty quickly. For others, the adjustment is much more difficult. This can be especially true for those who don't have the resources or support systems to be successful when they're released.

Today, when an inmate is released from jail, they're given $40, and a bus ticket or metro pass to get home. From that moment, they're on their own.

To improve conditions for released inmates, a member of the New York State Assembly has introduced a bill in the State Legislature that would vastly increase the amount of money they receive when they come out of jail.

New York State Assembly Bill A9115 would increase the amount of money given to a prisoner released from $40 to $2,550, more than 6,000% over the current amount.

According to The City - NYC News, this new New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision program would cost around $25 million in its initial iteration. Proponents of this program state that it's just a drop in the bucket compared to what New York spends on housing prisoners, currently estimated to cost $115,000 per person per year, and would increase the chances of prisoners not coming back to jail. At the same time, opponents feel that the taxpayers do not have any obligation to give inmates any money upon their release.

If this plan does pass in the legislature, it would be much higher than the increase Governor Hochul proposed. The Governor's plan would increase this so-called gate money from $40 to $200.

What do you think? Should the Empire State give inmates thousands of dollars when they are released?

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Source: New York May Give Inmates Thousands When Released

Filed Under: new york state, new york state assembly, New York State Legislature, New York State Senate

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