Day 72: All About the Benjamins

This weekend there was quite a flurry of activity on the block. One inmate noticed that money was taken from his paycheck for his Fines & Costs but his Fine & Costs balance did not go down.

Recall, it works like this:

1. The inmate's full paycheck is sent to the prison directly. Or in the case of employer direct deposit, the inmate brings his pay stub and a cashier's check for the net pay amount.
   
2. The prison deducts 20% of the paycheck, no less than $50, no more than $204, per week since last pay.
   
3. The prison deducts $3 per week for drug tests which are never performed.
   
4. The prison deducts 50% of the remaining amount and allegedly credits it to the inmate's Fines & Costs balance.
   

This accounting is done only once per week. After it is done, the inmate receives back the pay stub and a small slip of paper indicating itemized deductions. It also shows the new Fines & Costs balance.

As the news spread about this one inmate's error, more people checked their statements. At least a dozen other inmates also have the problem: the 50% taken for the Fines & Costs has not been credited to the balance; i.e. since their last pay, the Fines & Costs amount has not changed, even though more money was taken off. Where did this money go?

I reviewed my statements in detail and while there are not large errors, the math is incorrect by a few dollars. Incomprehensibly, this must mean someone is doing it by hand and not checking their math. Or they are doing it on purpose and pocketing the cash. But the idea that there is no automatic error checking amongst the Fines & Costs balance, the pay check deduction system, and the system that prints the balance sheets for prisoners, is absolutely incredible. Can't the prison afford a copy of Excel?!?!?!?

I am not sure what is going to happen. A call to the County Treasurer would be considered a "personal call" and punished as a misconduct, with up to 90 more days spent in prison. I intend to submit a request form asking to see an itemized list of all my fines and costs on County Treasurer's letterhead (instead of the prison's) so I can compare it to what they have been taking and reporting as my balance. Or, I may just ask for permission to call the Treasurer directly. I see no reason they should not grant this, unless rather than incompetence, the prison is literally stealing from inmates.