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I co-founded the Prison Policy Initiative to put the problem of mass incarceration — and the perverse incentives that fuel it — on the national agenda. Over the last 17 years, our campaigns have protected our democracy from the prison system and protected the poorest families in this country from the predatory prison telephone industry. Our reports untangle the statistics and recruit new allies.

But now, more than ever, we need your help to put data & compassion into the conversation. Any gift you can make today will be matched by other donors and go twice as far.

Thank you.
—Peter Wagner, Executive DirectorDonate

Release Cards

Correctional facilities are increasingly using fee-riddled cards to repay people they release — money in someone’s possession when initially arrested, money earned working in the facility, or money sent by friends and relatives. Before the rise of these release cards, people were given cash or a check. Now, they are instead given a mandatory prepaid card, which comes with high fees that eat into their balance. We submitted this report as a comment to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, urging the CFPB to protect consumers recently-released from custody.

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