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When it’s time to leave prison you might be in the middle of nowhere. Say you’re released from some facility far from where you’re from. You’re going to need a ride, somewhere to go, food, and more. Some prisons give those they release a little money, but here’s what’s wrong.
The “gate money,” money for those leaving prison, isn’t enough to do much of anything. According to the Marshall project: “At the highest end, California and Colorado provide $200 and $100, respectively. At the lowest end, people in Alabama and Louisiana often leave prison with as little as $10 or $20 in their pockets.”
Some people leave prison with NOTHING. That’s why the first few days when someone leaves prison are said to determine whether or not someone will have to go back. Being in desperate need can lead to crime, so releasing someone with nothing doesn’t help stop it!
And get this, a lot of these states don’t change the amount of money they give to prisoners getting out with the times. So inflation occurs and they don’t increase how much prisoners get. You can’t do much of anything when you barely have enough for a meal or anywhere to stay.
Not everyone has family and friends to depend on and prisoners are shunned by society. Part of the reason this country is backwards when it comes to criminal justice is because it doesn’t fix problems with common-sense solutions. Prisoners need resources, not the conditions that helped lock them up.