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Prison Policy Initiative updates for December 30, 2020 Showing how mass incarceration harms communities and our national welfare
Stimulus, round 2: Incarcerated people will be eligible for new round of payments [[link removed]] At the end of an otherwise disappointing session of Congress, the inclusion of incarcerated people in the stimulus program is a small ray of hope. [[link removed]]
by Stephen Raher
In the wake of the recently passed stimulus bill, many Americans are complaining about the paltry direct payments of $600. Without detracting from Congress’s failure to support the millions of people who need help, it is worth pausing to acknowledge one unexpected victory in the bill: It contains no prohibition on stimulus payments for incarcerated people.1
The previous stimulus bill, passed in March, took some people by surprise by not making incarcerated people ineligible for direct cash payments. The IRS made an ill-advised (not to mention unauthorized) attempt to exclude incarcerated people, but this policy was slapped down by the federal courts. As we wrote previously [[link removed]], because Congress did not exclude people in prison or jail, the IRS had no choice but to issue the payments to incarcerated people who otherwise qualified. Others who made this same argument ultimately prevailed in court [[link removed]] and incarcerated people began to receive stimulus checks.
In July, when Congress first started to consider a subsequent round of stimulus, the Senate Finance Committee proposed legislative language that would exclude incarcerated people from receiving funds (both going forward and retroactively). The fact that no such language appears in the bill passed in December suggests that this issue was probably the subject of actual negotiation.
It’s a good thing that Congress stuck to the policy of including incarcerated people in the pool of eligible recipients. Even before the pandemic, day-to-day life in prison and jail was getting expensive, with commissary charges [[link removed]] for basic food and hygiene items, and increasingly common pay-to-play e-book and music programs. [[link removed]] But the COVID-19 crisis has brought communications costs (phone, video, and electronic messaging) into sharp contrast. In the many facilities that have suspended in-person visits, phone and video are now essential services [[link removed]] (which come with a price tag). When incarcerated people lack the money needed to pay for basic health and communications items, the financial burden typically falls on their loved ones on the outside who may have to sacrifice basic needs to support family members in prison.
The second round of stimulus payments will help people pay for basic necessities in prison or jail, and perhaps begin saving to cover expenses upon release from custody. At the end of an otherwise disappointing session of Congress, the inclusion of incarcerated people in the stimulus program is a small ray of hope.
No information has yet been made public about the procedure for getting the next round of stimulus payments to incarcerated people (including whether/how incarcerated people will have to apply for the payments, or how the funds will be disbursed). We'll update the online version of this article [[link removed]] when we know more.
Footnotes Another prison-related victory, the restoration of Pell grants for people in prison [[link removed]], is also worth noting, although that’s a topic for a different blog post. Please support our work [[link removed]]
Our work is made possible by private donations. Can you help us keep going? We can accept tax-deductible gifts online [[link removed]] or via paper checks sent to PO Box 127 Northampton MA 01061. Thank you!
Other news: The other reason incarcerated people need stimulus payments: reentry costs [[link removed]]
Returning from prison and jail is hard during normal times — it’s even more difficult during COVID-19. We reviewed the evidence [[link removed]] and called for state and local governments to provide more support for success upon release from prison or jail.
Read our analysis of reentry obstacles during COVID-19. [[link removed]]
Come work with us! [[link removed]]
We're hiring a Director of Advocacy and a Communications Director. This is a major opportunity to help us grow the fight against mass incarceration, and we want to hear from you. For more information, visit our job listings page. [[link removed]]
Please support our work [[link removed]]
Our work is made possible by private donations. Can you help us keep going? We can accept tax-deductible gifts online [[link removed]] or via paper checks sent to PO Box 127 Northampton MA 01061. Thank you!
Our other newsletters Ending prison gerrymandering ( archives [[link removed]]) Criminal justice research library ( archives) [[link removed]]
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