Sosie

3,900 stimulus checks went to prison inmates
Government sent 3,900 economic stimulus checks to prison inmates -- 2,200 got to keep them
By Stephen Ohlemacher, Associated Press Writer
On Wednesday August 26, 2009, 9:28 pm EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The federal government sent about 3,900 economic stimulus payments of $250 each this spring to people who were in no position to use the money to help stimulate the economy: prison inmates.

The checks were part of the massive economic recovery package approved by Congress and President Barack Obama in February. About 52 million Social Security recipients, railroad retirees and those receiving Supplemental Security Income were eligible for the one-time checks.

Prison inmates are generally ineligible for federal benefits. However, 2,200 of the inmates who received checks got to keep them because, under the law, they were eligible, said Mark Lassiter, a spokesman for the Social Security Administration. They were eligible because they weren't incarcerated in any one of the three months before the recovery package was enacted.

"The law specified that any beneficiary eligible for a Social Security benefit during one of those months was eligible for the recovery payment," Lassiter said.

The other 1,700 checks? That was a mistake.

Checks were sent to those inmates because government records didn't accurately show they were in prison, Lassiter said. He said most of those checks were returned by the prisons.

"We are currently reviewing each of those cases to determine whether or not the recovery payment was due," Social Security Commissioner Michael J. Astrue said in a statement issued Wednesday evening. "Where we determine payment was not due, we will take aggressive action to recover each of these erroneous payments."

The Boston Herald first reported that the checks were sent to inmates.

The inspector general for the Social Security Administration is performing an audit to make sure no checks went to ineligible recipients, spokesman George E. Penn said.

The audit, which had already been planned, will examine whether checks incorrectly went to inmates, dead people, fugitive felons or people living outside the U.S., Penn said.

The $787 billion economic recovery package included $2 million for the inspector general to oversee the provisions handled by the Social Security Administration. The audit is part of those efforts, Penn said. There is no timetable for its conclusion.

The federal government processed $13 billion in stimulus payments. About $425,000 was incorrectly sent to inmates.

WTF? I don't think the prison inmates, dead fugitive felons and people living outside the U.S. should collect their checks.

Deafness

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Reba

What are the prisoners' checks supposed to stimulate?

What a waste.

Buffalo

Whatever they can buy in the canteen???

Edit: I think they can order stuff thru mail.

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Reba

Prison canteens need stimulating? I thought they had a monopoly on their captive consumers.

Bottesini

Maybe they could send them to their families who are surely suffering.

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Reba

In that case, the checks should have been sent directly to the families.

Bottesini

I agree.

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Foxrac

I'm not happy about stimulus checks under Obama admin, I had felt that Bush admin will send $600 to me if Bush is still in office.

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rockin'robin

I received 2 checks....and sent one back....knowing I was not supposed to get it.

Wonder if those prison inmates actually cashed those checks?...If so, then I'm a sucker!

souggy

Oi!

Obviously someone should had paid more attention to where the money is going. Stimulus packages should only be given out when the country or state/province is not in a deficit.

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radioman

WTF! Only thing they would use cash for is sex, drugs, cigs and protection. what else ? Its not gonna help, increase standard of life, nor help local economy!

Buffalo

According to the link, the warden is double-checking the records to make sure that the inmates wasn't in jail at the time when stimulus checks is approved. Otherwise he won't let the inmate have the check.

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SpiceHD

and i wasnt even qualified for one because i was only 50 bucks short (you have to have more than 3,000 bucks per year from them... i had like 2,947 or around that. i was pissed off lol.. now im even more pissed off because inmates are getting them!? they dont even earn ssi/ssdi/ss during serving time! (i dont think they do... do they?)

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