California Lawmaker Wants to Increase ‘Gate Money’ for People Leaving Prison
California currently provides a debit card loaded with a maximum $200. State senator Sydney Kamlager says the amount, which hasn't changed in 50 years, isn't enough to give returning citizens a decent start.
Landwebs
California state senator Sydney Kamlager, representing Los Angeles, is introducing legislation to bump up “gate money,” funds that people released from state prisons are given, from $200 to $2,590. It would be the first increase in the allowance in nearly 50 years, reports The Guardian. People serving short sentences receive even less. Meanwhile, states like Colorado, Texas, Florida and some others provide $100, while Louisiana and Alabama offer just $10.
Kamlager argues that the higher amount accords with federal data on the cost of food and housing, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Living Wage Calculator, to find the average monthly expenses for a single adult with no children in 2021. His bill specifies that the allowance should also be adjusted annually to account for inflation. It costs California more than $8,800 to keep someone incarcerated each month, and increasing gate money allowance would cost the state less than pushing those just released back into the prison system, he maintains. Experts view a person’s first 72 hours after release as a vulnerable, crucial time that can determine whether or not they end up back in prison.
