NCJ Number
175381
Journal
Corrections Forum Volume: 5 Issue: 7 Dated: July-August 1996 Pages: 22-27
Date Published
1996
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Corrections agencies should establish reporting agreements with their local Social Security Administration office to reduce the numbers of inmates who are receiving payments from the Federal Government in the form of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Retirement, Survivors Benefits or Disability Insurance (RSDI).
Abstract
These Federal payments are intended to cover the food, shelter, and medical care needs of people with disabilities. However, many inmates who receive these benefits should not be receiving them. The basis for disqualification varies depending on the source of the benefits. Inmates receiving Social Security are not entitled to the benefit if they are in a correctional facility after receiving a sentence of 1 year or more. The benefits can also be suspended for people confined to a public institution after being found guilty but insane, incompetent to stand trial, or not guilty by reason of insanity. Identifying inmates who are Social Security recipients is difficult because many facilities lack computer capabilities to tie in with the Social Security Administration. In addition, inmates booked into a jail may give an alias or the wrong Social Security number. The Social Security Administration has instructed its regional and field offices to contact local jails and establish a procedure to report inmates. This only entails giving the office a monthly list of inmates. Proposed Federal legislation would give jails payments for every inmate caught by Social Security and would deny SSI benefits for 10 years to any inmate who fraudulently obtained the benefit while in prison. Savings from enforcing existing regulations are estimated at $300-600 million. Case examples