A Reagan era policy assured that each prisoner upon their release shall be paid the sum of $200.
But a lawsuit filed last week alleges that state prisons illegally docked fees from this “gate money.” The lawsuit was filed by UC Berkeley’s Criminal Law and Justice Center and Edelson PC. It estimates that the corrections department has shortchanged more than a million people since 1994.
The money is provided to formerly incarcerated people upon release. This $200 gate money is essential in meeting basic housing, food, and clothing needs upon being freed. A study from the Prison Policy Initiative found that formerly incarcerated people are most likely to experience homelessness shortly after release.
The lawsuit, which was filed last week, will be tried in the Alameda County Superior Court.
