Serving time can contribute to more than the obvious stressors. Sure, you lose your freedom, but what happens to everything you own while you’re in? How do you pay for things once you’re out of prison? Do prisoners get money when they are released?
Gibson Bail Bonds can help you get out before your arraignment. We can provide advice and tips for saving money while you’re in so that you can hit the ground running.
How do Prisoners Get Money upon Release?
There are a few options for income resources when you’re released from incarceration. From previous investment to working while you’re behind bars, you can avoid being flat broke when you get out with a little planning.
Previous Investments
If you’ve invested in savings, stocks, or other financial endeavors before you were incarcerated, that is the first resource cache you should access to get on your feet. If you’ve got family or friends to help you, this will make landing and restarting life easier. However, that’s not always an option.
Halfway Houses
Halfway houses give you access to shelter while you apply for jobs and work to earn enough for your own place. After incarceration, finding a job can be especially difficult due to background checks. However, there are businesses that are likely to hire you even with a record if you’re just honest about the lapse in your employment, and the time behind bars.
Work While Inside the System
Many facilities hire internally for jobs like cooks, janitors, and local community clean up projects. These are great ways to accumulate funds to put toward commissary, phones, or savings for your release. It’s a measly wage, compared to local minimum wages, but it’s income.
Partner with a Prisoner Advocate Program
Financial health programs dedicated to inmates, such as Prisoner’s Assistant can help you open a bank account, and put your earned funds towards financial stability. You can sign up for services starting at $4.50. Their services range from limited power of attorney so that a representative can request financial services on your behalf. With this paperwork established, they can open an account, pay bills, apply for credit cards on your behalf to pay debts, and improve your credit while you’re in.
The Prisoners Assistant creator spent 16 years behind bars for armed robbery and saw a need for financial stability to reduce recidivism rates.
Recidivism and Money
Recidivism is the likelihood for a prisoner to return to prison after release. There are many theories on why criminals tend to return to prison, sometimes for the same reason they went in in the first place. The leading theory is that the system is built against them.
Prison systems want to prevent prisoners from accumulating any real wealth because that poses a risk of bribery. When a prisoner is released, if they don’t have money saved, they find themselves needing to make money quickly, and it’s easy to fall back into old habits or do something illegal to get money.
If you have money saved up, or have a family member take care of your finances while you’re incarcerated, you have a chance to bounce back and not return. If you work hard while you’re in, you’ll leave with a bit of cash to get you started. Your lawyer can help you set up a proxy with a family member with a power of attorney or similar document to help you manage your finances while you’re locked up.
Bail Bonds
Gibson Bail Bonds can help you get out of jail while you await trial. Coordinate with your family, friends, and lawyer to facilitate the bail bonds process. By paying for your release during the waiting period, you can return to work, and ensure your bills are taken care of before you head to court. It is an opportunity to set things in order before your possible incarceration. Give us a call to discuss your bail bond needs.
