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I heard recently that the Missouri Department of Corrections is going to start giving ex-convicts debit cards for amounts in their prison accounts exceeding $200 when they are released from prison. This is one of the SMARTEST moves I’ve heard of from a (state) government body in a long time.

Doin’ Time

If you’ve never been to prison before, first of all GOOD! Second, things work a little differently on the inside (never been there myself, but others I know have).

In prison, you don’t have access to your outside bank accounts, money markets, or other ‘normal’ sources of income like you used to. The prison system has it’s own ‘bank’ that it uses to regulate prisoner’s access to money. This bank only ACCEPTS deposits from the outside in a carefully controlled way, usually by Western Union money wire, or cashier’s check.

This means that a frugal prisoner might accrue quite a bit of money, if someone on the outside sends them regular deposits. What’s happened with the money before when they are released is that any amount under $200 is given out as cash, and amounts over $200 were given in the form of a check.

Getting on the Straight and Narrow

The reason that this old method is being changed is because in many instances, the parolee has no bank account once they get out (either they NEVER had an account, or it has been closed for lack of activity during their incarceration). Now, with the new debit cards, due to be given out state-wide by June, they can get their money directly without having to resort to a rip-off check cashing place, or trying to get a bank account before cashing the check (difficult, since they probably have no permanent home address yet). Additionally, the debit cards can be replaced if they’re lost, and can be used at pretty much any ATM.

This is a smart move for a number of reasons.

• Allows ex-convicts an easier transition into society - Many parolees just want to get on with their lives, and by making this easier, it reduces the number of people that fall back into a life of crime to get by. When you don’t have any money, and you can’t cash the check you have anywhere because you don’t have an account due to your record, it’s tempting to do something stupid just to get by.
• Gives back some Dignity - Giving them the opportunity to start managing their lives and finances IMMEDIATELY, gives a feeling of control and returns some of the dignity lost by being in prison.
• Doesn’t require carrying cash - With the debit card, they don’t have to carry around a significant amount of cash, but have access to it in a safe and secure manner. It’s more difficult to be robbed, and easy for the card to be replaced if it’s lost or stolen, unlike cash.

Preventing the Three Strikes

Discussing whether prisons just incarcerate people or try to rehabilitate people is FAR beyond the scope of this article, but the idea that someone who has committed a crime and has paid for it, can be successfully re-integrated into society is appealing to me. Not everyone turns to a ‘life of crime’ after they get out, and for many people, one time in jail is one time too many. Having a streamlined and smart way to return to normal life actually makes everyone safer, encouraging ex-convicts to become a part of society again.

What do you think about the new Debit Card program?? We’d love to hear a comment from you.