What Gate Money Can (And Cannot) Buy - Marshall Project Article I feature in...

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Most states give money to people
leaving prison. But some formerly
incarcerated people say it's often
not enough to meet their basic needs.


 EXCERPT:

 When Taj Ashaheed was released from prison and dropped off in downtown Denver with $100 of gate money on a debit card, he used it to buy a cheap cell phone. Then he went to Subway and ordered a meatball sub.

 Ashaheed was able to stay with a family member for the first month or so after prison. But for people who aren’t so lucky, housing is an expensive and immediate need, said Sean Taylor, the deputy executive director of the Second Chance Center, a reentry organization in Colorado.Taylor, who himself was released from prison and received $100 in gate money about eight years ago, said the shelters his center can refer people to cost around $60 a week, and a bad motel might cost about $350.

 For Ashaheed, $100 felt like a “token gesture” on the part of the state, not like a real attempt to help people get on their feet. “It felt like...we’re just going to say $100 because it sounds like a good number, but good luck with that,” he said.
CLICK LINK FOR ENTIRE ARTICLE:

 https://www.themarshallproject.org/2019/09/10/what-gate-money-can-and-cannot-buy

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