Where does the money go is a very good question. I have been researching and here is a rough estimate of where the money goes. I am not actually sure why so much money is being spent on certain things and why money is being spent on things that I am not sure prisons even have. However, this is what my research has turned up:
$80 Billion in US tax payer dollars goes to the imprisonment of it’s criminals why is the bill so high? It cost $50, 000- $60,000 per inmate a year to house. Remember this is only an estimate.
- State Prisons $43 Billion
- Federal Prison 5.8 Billion
- Correctional Employee Benefits 4.25 Billion
- Healthcare for Inmates 8.1 Billion
- Incarcerated Older Inmates 16 Billion
- Solitary Confinement $75,000 per Inmate Annually
- Guantanamo Bay $900,000 per year
Now here are the day to day operations, healthcare, maintenance, and etc.
Security and Administration: Someone on duty for security it cost $19,663 per inmate per year Administration $ 3,493 per inmate per year Total $23,156
Healthcare: $ 12,442 per inmate Pharmaceuticals $998 Medical care $ 8,768 Dental care $748 Psychiatric services $1,978 In some states like Arizona inmates have a co-pay of $20.00 for the doctor, $20.00 for UA’s $ 4.00 for the dentist each time. Tax payers in Arizona still pay for inmate’s healthcare.
Operations: per inmate per year $7,214 Assignment, Testing and Reception $261 Classification $1,773 Transportation $18 Maintenance of records $660
Rehabilitation per inmate $1612 Academic Education $944 Vocational Training $ 354 Substance Abuse Programs $313
Inmate Support To house an inmates and provide support to inmates: Per Year $2,562 Food $ 1,475 Activities $439 Canteen & Employment $407 Clothing $ 171 Religious activities $70 In doing my research I didn’t find may prisons that have activities, many families are sending more money for canteen so their family members have more to eat because the portions are very small, not enough for a grown up. Family members are sending extra money for clothing because the prisons only supply a certain amount in the beginning. If an inmate doesn’t have anyone to send them money, they wear hand-me -downs from other inmates.
Prisons get paid per inmate. Some states get paid more and some get paid less the averages are between $50, 000 – $60,000, the lowest paid is around $32,000 per inmate.
Nearly 2.4 million people wake up in prison each morning in the US. That is 25% of the world’s prisoner’s.
Hidden Cost: Commissary Emails Video Visit Food Boxes Travel Hotels Phone calls Clothing Clothing
Prison Policy Initiative estimates that families spends 2.9 billion a year on commissary accounts, phone calls, food boxes, and visits.
Families are often responsible for attorneys fees, restitution& fees, court fees, raising grandchildren or other family members.