Financial Assistance For Released Prisoners

We’ve compiled this short guide to help you learn about Financial Assistance For Released Prisoners. Whether you need pre-release support for yourself or a loved one, the information below will help you understand your options.

Financial Assistance For Released Prisoners

Bad news first. The government does not run any financial assistance programs for released prisoners. When you get out of prison, you’re faced with starting a new life with no resources. This is a difficult position unless you have family or friends to help you get back on your feet.

When you get out of prison, you’ll get a small amount of gate money on a prepaid debit card, and that’s where direct government aid ends for released inmates. It’s not all bad news though. Although there are no financial resources specifically for released inmates, you may be eligible for Social Security, disability, SNAP benefits (food stamps), welfare, and housing assistance. Other help is available through re-entry programs and charities.

How Much Gate Money Do Released Prisoners Get?

When you get out of jail, you may receive some gate money. Gate money is a small amount of financial aid meant to give you enough to pay for a few meals and phone calls on the way home. The amount you get depends on the state you live in. Some states do not provide any gate amount at all.

Gate fees range from less than $10 (Alabama) to $200 (California). Released prisoners also usually receive a bus ticket and a basic set of clothing. You may be given the full gate amount upon release, if not, you must contact your parole officer before you can access the full amount. If you have saved any money in your inmate account, you will be paid your balance after your release.

Can Release Prisoners Get Social Security?

If you meet the eligibility criteria for Social Security, you will receive retirement benefits when you are discharged. Your status as an ex-convict will not affect your eligibility. You can even apply from prison when you know your release date.

Who qualifies for social security? If you’re age 62 or older and you’ve worked for 10 years or more and paid Social Security taxes, you’re eligible for Social Security retirement benefits. If you haven’t worked long enough to establish your Social Security eligibility by age 62, you may still be eligible based on your spouse’s or former spouse’s work record.

Are Released Prisoners Eligible For Disability?

Yes. If you meet the criteria for disability, you may apply for disability benefits. The disability program you qualify for depends on your employment and contribution history.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

SSI is need-based and payable to low-income disabled, blind, and elderly people.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

SSDI is based on work and earnings history, with benefits payable to the blind and disabled

Do Former Inmates Get Food Stamps?

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides low-income food stamps to released inmates. If you are unemployed and have no children in the household, you are only allowed to receive SNAP benefits for 3 months out of every 3 years. Individuals with a disability or low income are not subject to the 3-month limit.

Additional help is available from the TANF program for low-income and very low-income households. TANF is temporary assistance for needy families. To qualify for assistance, you must be pregnant or responsible for a child under the age of 18 (19 in some states) and meet income and asset limits.

To apply for SNAP or TANF contact your local SNAP office. Visit the USDA website to find contact details for the SNAP office nearest you: https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/state-directory.

Are Released Prisoners Eligible For Welfare?

Receiving a welfare check each month will make it easier to get back to your normal life. You may be eligible to apply for welfare if you meet your state’s eligibility criteria. Most states only pay welfare to households with dependent children.

Medicaid Eligibility

Enrollment in Medicaid (if eligible) is required to access health care after you are released from prison. Some states will enroll inmates in Medicaid before their release.

Eligibility criteria for Medicaid are set by each state and are based on factors including income, household size, disability, age, and family status.

In states with expanded Medicare coverage, you will only qualify based on low income, as long as your income is less than 133% of the federal poverty level.

Housing Assistance For Released Prisoners

What help will you get with housing after your release? If you don’t have family or friends to stay with, you’ll need to find a place in re-entry housing, transitional housing, or a homeless shelter. You must apply for re-entry and transitional housing before your release, but if you are unsuccessful, ask your parole officer to help you find housing.

For emergency housing, call the United Way Helpline at 211 to find out where your nearest shelter is. The free helpline is open 24 hours a day, every day. Shelters don’t limit their support to a bed for a few weeks, they’ll help with food and clothing, and connect you with other necessary resources for re-entry into the area. Your goal is to move into your home as soon as possible, and you may be able to get financial assistance through government-run housing programs for low-income households.

If you meet the income threshold, you should apply for a public housing program or housing choice voucher program in your area as soon as possible. Waiting lists for these programs are long. In some areas, waitlists are only open for a few days each year, so you need to make sure you keep an eye out for waitlist notifications.

To find out if you qualify for housing assistance, contact your local public housing authority (PHA). Start by visiting a directory of public housing agencies. https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/pha/contacts/.

Select your state from the drop-down list, or click your state on the map to get the contact details for your nearest PHA.

Other Resources For Released Prisoners

After being released from prison, you’ve got a lot of adjustment to make and a lot of pressure to attend to. You can feel lost and alone, and if you’ve been in prison for a long time, the outside world can seem quite bewildering.

But you are not alone. Several charities and non-profit organizations help returnees get back on their feet. You can get help:

• Housing and housing applications
• Employment
• Access to benefits
• Identification documents
• Healthcare
• Food
• Essentials
• Transportation
• Education and skills training
• Mental health recovery programs
• Drug addiction programs
• Mentoring
• Legal issues
• Clothing
• Support groups

Ex-prisoners who use these support services have much better re-entry outcomes.

Your parole officer will direct you to local reentry organizations. Alternatively, search online for prison reentry resources and charities in your area, contact local churches, call the United Way at 211, or contact your local Goodwill branch.

Final Thoughts

Because direct financial assistance for newly released inmates is limited to a small amount of Get Money, you’ll need to sign up for the general assistance programs we’ve mentioned. Unless you need to enter a recovery program, getting a job as soon as possible should be a high priority for you. If you’re unable to work because of age or disability, sign up for Social Security before you leave prison to avoid delays in your first payment. Remember, there is no need to go through re-enrollment alone. And if you get help, you’ll get back on your feet faster.