Read on Twitter
We're letting lots of people out of our jails & prisons early, due to the spread of coronavirus. That's great. But most of these people will not get the checks they're entitled to from the government. That's a problem.
(Graph from @publicsafetylab.)
1/n
(Graph from @publicsafetylab.)
1/n
We know that releasing people when few jobs are available increases recidivism & reincarceration rates. This is partly because returning citizens themselves are unable to find jobs, and partly because their friends and family are out of work and less able to provide support. 2/n
Right now, the people we're releasing from our jails and prisons are entering a terrible labor market — the worst that most of us have ever seen. This means that in our (justified) rush to reduce the spread of the virus, we are likely setting them up for failure. 3/n
What should we do about it? Send them checks! There is growing evidence that money alone can dramatically reduce recidivism rates.
See this post for more detail on that evidence & potential mechanisms: https://medium.com/@jenniferdoleac/returning-citizens-should-get-checks-too-337fb454372b
4/n
See this post for more detail on that evidence & potential mechanisms: https://medium.com/@jenniferdoleac/returning-citizens-should-get-checks-too-337fb454372b
4/n
You may think that the federal government is on top of this, and that returning citizens will get checks along with everyone else. But you need to have filed federal income taxes in the last couple years in order for the IRS to know where to send the money. 5/n
People who have been incarcerated may not have filed taxes if their incomes were too low — perhaps because they were locked up. We’ll need to get more creative in order to support this group and the communities to which they’re returning. 6/n
Two options:
1. Increase the amount of “gate money” that people receive upon release — perhaps to the full $1200 that the govt has promised.
2. Probation & parole offices could provide the contact info of those under supervision to the IRS, for the purpose of sending checks.
7/n
1. Increase the amount of “gate money” that people receive upon release — perhaps to the full $1200 that the govt has promised.
2. Probation & parole offices could provide the contact info of those under supervision to the IRS, for the purpose of sending checks.
7/n
The question of how to get $ to returning citizens highlights a broader need to improve our ability find people in many low-income, at-risk groups. Such citizens are especially vulnerable at times like this, and it will benefit all of us to figure out how to help them! 8/8
