As this article points out, unlike consumer debit cards, prison-issued cards are unregulated and subject to exorbitant fees.
Questions:
1. What are the typical charges for these cards?
2. For the person that had $120 and was able to use only $70, calculate the percentage of fees.
3. Who is making the money on these release cards and approximately how many states are using them?
Source:
Diallo, A. (2015) Release cards’ turn inmates and their families into profit stream. AlJazeera America.com (Retrievable online at http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/4/20/release-cards-turn-inmates-and-their-families-into-profit-stream.html)