Phase 1: Write to the Social Security Regional Office requesting an application to apply for SSI informing them that you (the inmate) just turned in your parole plan and what area you are paroling to. You may also apply after you have already paroled by filling out the appropriate paperwork and return it to your Regional Office

Phase 2: Upon your release go to the Department of Social Security and apply for General Relief. Show them your PAROLE or MANDATORY RELEASE papers in order to show that you are just out of prison. Inform them that you require financial assistance immediately. Do not forget to request Food Stamps, Housing Voucher, and clothing Voucher under ROW 0.05.310 whil you are there, also be sure to obtain a medicade card for health protection benefits. NOTE: This card can be used at any doctors or dentist office.

Phase 3: DO THIS WITHIN 10 DAYS!!! Go to the Department of Vocational Rehab Center where you can apply for various Federl Funded loans and grants and inform them of a trade you work in/at. Apply for disability at the Social Security Office and apply under the status of an ex-convict, which is considered to be a Disadvantaged Minority who is eligible for all benefits which apply to to that category. Expect to be turned down up to 3 times. However, your 4th times you will not be turned down. Approximately one or two weeks later you will receive a check for $130.00 for every month you were in prison and 3 months before and after your incarceration term for one year. You may call about Food Stamps and get $800 worth of food stamps when you go to the Department of Social services. You may also write to the National Prison Project and request a list of Organizations in your state which help ex-offenders. The address is: NATIONAL PRISON PROJECT... 1875 cONNECTICUT AVE NW...WASHIGNTON DC 20009

Phase 4: The small business administration will loan you $24,000 for any business you wish to establish, if you desire to start a small business. Make a list of Approx. cost of all equip. you will need (ex. tools, work-clothes, etc) and estimate the operating cost you will need to start up the business until it begins to make a living for you. they may loan you as much as $50,000. They will loan you $5,000 for a vehicle and an additional $1,000 for a work-related vehicle.

Phase 5: The Federal Govt guarantees you a loan and bonding for up to $10,000. if YOU NEED TO BE BONDED FOR EMPLOYMENT BY A PRIVATE EMPLOER YOU CAN OBTAIN THE BOND FROM ANY U.S. DISTRICT COURT by going to the probation & parole dept. A Job Tax Credit will be given gto your employer, a $3,000 tax credit the 2nd year simply for hiring you. Also, if your employer trains you in some type of skill, the Federal Govt. will pay one half of your wages for the 1st year in addition to the tax credit.

Phase 6: The American Banker Association will give you a $500.00 Cert. of Deposit and for the 1st year the cert. must remain in the bank. After that you may redeem it. However, you can collect the interest on the certificate and the interest is tax-free. Their Address is: AMERICAN BANKERS ASSOCIATION... 1120 CONNECTICUT AVE...WASHINGTON DC... 20039

The address for financial assistance which is available to parolees is: OFFICE OF ECONOMIC GRANTS...1200 19TH STREET...WASHINGTON DC 20410


Information gathered from Cooley Law Library :D

Good lookin out.

Are the programs/assistance specifically for where you are located, or is it standard through out the USA? If they are state specific, where could I find, (or do they even exist)similar resources for California? Any info is soooo appreciated!!! Thank you!:D

Oh my gosh, that is fantastic.

And I was just talking to my brother (who gets out within the next year) about starting a business of his own. However, as princess' question is a good point.

This does apply all over the US right??

Yes this is for all over the United States. As an ex-convict they are considered a disadvantaged minority and quality for benefits.

Does this include federal prison also

I'm sorry to disagree, and mean no disrespect, but when I was released from federal prison I had heard this rumor. I checked with the Social Security Administration and what you are describing simply does not happen. Also, inmates are prohibited from receiving benefits while in prison, therefore they will not give you "back" benefits for the time you were incarcerated.

The food stamps and Medicaid must be applied for through your County Department of Human Services. In many states there are offenses that will immediately prohibit you from obtaining any type of assistance, such as a drug offenses. You may also be prohibited from obtaining public housing or Section 8. Call or go to the Department of Human Services to see if you are eligible for any assistance.

This was taken directly from the Social Security Administration Website:

The Social Security Administration does not provide any benefits just for ex-prisoners.Once you are released, you can get Supplemental Security Income (SSI)(see http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/11000.html (http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/11000.html)) payments if you are 65 or older, or are blind or have a disability have little or no income and resources.Social Security retirement, survivors, or disability (RSDI—Title II) (see http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10024.html (http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10024.html) benefits may be payable if you have worked and paid into Social Security enough years (this is determined by your age and the date you became disabled or turned age 62), and:You have a physical or mental condition so severe that it will make you unable to do any work for at least a year, orYou are legally blind, even with glasses, orYou are age 62 or older.If you meet the above requirements, Social Security benefits may also pay:Your child who is under age 18, or severely disabled before age 22, or your wife who is age 62 or older, or is caring for your child who is under age 16 or severely disabled before age 22.If you think you could qualify for benefits based on the above requirements, you should call Social Security’s toll-free telephone number, 1-800-772-1213. If you are severely disabled or over age 62 and you have dependents who could be paid based on your work covered by Social Security, you should call Social Security immediately.

Thank you, cjjack for setting the record straight. For a minute I thought YOU had posted this. Scared me silly.

There are a couple of truisms in the aforementioned.

First, you probably CAN get food stamps. It depends on your location, etc. In Oklahoma a recently released offender can expect to get about $75/month if they are single. You will fair better going to various food banks, etc.

Second, you can get bonded by the Federal Government if your job requires a bond, IF YOU ARE ON PROBATION OR SUPERVISED RELEASE FOR A FEDERAL SENTENCE. Actually, I think the amount is $20,000, not $10,000, but I could be wrong.

Lastly, there is a tax credit for employers who hire ex-convicts. It is pretty substantial. My case worker at the half-way house gave me the paperwork to give to my employer.

Remember, if it sounds to good to be true, well, you know the rest.

The Small Business Administration is an incredibly inept bureaucracy of paperwork that does nothing. I fooled around with those people and wasted an incredible amount of time going to classes taught by 85 year-old men that had never BEEN in business. They were 40 years retired from the postal service, and didn't even know how to open a commercial checking account.

I know more about flying the space shuttle than any of them knew about business.

They only guarantee loans, they don't write them. Your business plan has to be approved by the bank, along with your triple-A credit rating.

The only place I had anything coming was from the VA, because I was a vet.

Also keep in mind, if you have a drug conviction for selling/distribution, it is highly unlikely that you will receive any federal financial aid for college. Pell grants, etc.

Sorry .

Hhhmmm, it would have been nice if this were true.

I'm still skeptical even though I've gotten my brother's hopes up. If this is not the case, then I'll just have to give him the cash that this fake information promised him. If it is the case, then I'll be happy. I'm going to check up on this from a bunch of law libraries (not just Cooley) and let you all know what I find but this does sound too good to be true anyway.

At any rate, he will still be starting a business though so its no biggy.

I was just released eight days ago (06/04/05). I thoroughly checked into the rumors I've heard about, involving financial assistance for ex-convicts. Most of them are untrue.

Here are the facts I've encountered so far:

FOOD STAMPS/MEDICAID - must be applied for through the local dept. of human services or social services offices. If you've recently been released and have not yet located employment, there is no problem qualifying for these two things.

TANF/AFDC - This also must be applied for through the local DHS or social services office. If you have minor child(ren), it is no problem. I have a three-year-old, so my monthly benefit (in mississippi) for myself and the child is $146/mo. The monthly amt. may vary from state to state. DRUG CONVICTIONS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THIS BENEFIT !! :mad: (sorry)

SSI/SSD- You MUST have a disability to qualify for either of these. Having been newly released from prison is not, in itself, sufficient to qualify. (I personally have other disability(ies) which make me eligible for SSI). In order to qualify for SSD, you must not only have a qualifying disability, but sufficient work history to be eligible.

EMPLOYER TAX CREDIT - Yes, this is true. There is a tax credit of several thousand dollars per year (I think it starts at $3k/yr) for hiring ex-cons. You should inform your prospective employer about this.

BONDING PROGRAMS - Yes, there is are Federal and State bonding programs. My local state employment office told me that the procedure is to have your prospective employer prepare a letter stating that they will hire you. You take this letter to your local state employment office, they'll fax it into the headquarters, and overnight, you are bonded for (in mississippi, at least) up to $5,000 for your first six months of employment. This amount may vary from state to state. Check with your local state employment service upon release, to determine the exact figures for your location.

CLOTHING - My local Salvation Army provided a voucher for $60 in clothing, and $10 in shoes.

HOUSING - I returned to my mother's home, so I (fortunately, praise God) wasn't confronted with that issue. However, I will research resources to determine the myth vs. the realities.

I am still waiting for my appointment with state vocational/rehab office, and contacts with the SBA, etc., to find out the reality behind the myths about those things. Will keep you posted .... ;)

For those denied financial aid for education under the drug provisions of the HEA... you may be eligible to apply for a small scholarship under the John Perry Scholarship fund. You can find more information and the application at raiseyourvoice.com/Perry-index.html. This is a new, small foundation that is trying to help those with drug convictions obtain funds for school.

As a former of employee of SBA I can tell you a little bit about them. First of all - they will NOT loan money to anyone who is still on paper. They consider loans to ex-convicts on a case by case basis. SBA does NOT loan money for vehicles unless it is to replace a vehicle lost in a disaster (flood, tornado, hurricane, etc.) and that is only on Disaster Loans. Disaster Loans are the only loans that cover personal property and that would only be for replacement of personal property lost or damaged in a natural disaster. As far as business loans go - like I said - ex-cons are given consideration. Like GottheTshirt said - SBA no longer makes the loans - they only guarantee the loans. You do the business end of getting the loan approved through a bank and they have to follow SBA guidelines all the way. The bank submits the loan to SBA for their approval after it has been approved by the bank. SBA has been down-sized so much over the years that it can take several weeks or longer before they have reviewed it and they may require changes that result in the whole process basically starting over again.
One of the things that most people don't realize about getting an SBA guaranteed loan is before you get any loan funds you are required to inject some of your own money first - which is normally going to be around 20% of the amount you need to start your business. That is one of the ways SBA feels assured the person is really serious about wanting the business to succeed and it's not a requirement they will ever waive.
As a former SBA employee with 15 years service with the agency - 7 years in the Disaster Services and 8 years with the regular SBA, followed by 6 years working in banks processing SBA Guaranteed Loans - my personal recommendation is to avoid the frustration of even dealing with them! The average SBA Loan is a VERY long drawn out process that takes several months to complete. If and when you are lucky enough to be approved by them you then go through a VERY long drawn out process of actually getting your loan funds. Very rarely is it handed to you in one lump sum - they give you bits and pieces and then when you have spent what they have doled out you have to produce receipts to account for every penny spent before getting another draw.
That's my 2 cents on the subject. Before you get the idea that I am a bitter ex-employee let me assure you that's not the case. I enjoyed my job very much but from what I learned during the years I worked for them, the only people who truly benefit from SBA are disaster victims and the people who want to start a business and already have the money necessary to start it that don't want to invest everything they own if money is available elsewhere.

Just to let y'all know... I contacted the ABA months ago when my fiancé gave me the sheet of info just like in the first post. I was told that they have no such program. The gentleman was very nice about it and said that others have inquired, too, but they don't do that.

This is a very sad situation for many families. I am in the same situation. My dad is about to get out and I am tring ot find info on this stuff to. I dont want to see him on the streets or back at point (A) but its not easy coming from a life behind bars for 12 yrs. All we can do is pray for our loved ones. And hope the best. I am open to any advice or sudjestions.

I just got out, like ten days ago and thought there was something out there to help. I guess that's what I get

So basically there is absolutely no finiacial help out there immediately upon release. No wonder so many people violate. They gave me twenty five dollars and told me to go out and start a life. How is this legal?

So basically there is absolutely no finiacial help out there immediately upon release. No wonder so many people violate. They gave me twenty five dollars and told me to go out and start a life. How is this legal?

There are resourses out here its just that they want you too look for them, weither it bae a chruch, the state, or the federal government, i know that in my case the only way i could really get help from the state when i was released from Prison was because shortly after getting out i found myself pregnate. you may want to try the local Corrections Clearing House in your area they may be able to help you and give you alot of resourses and Congrats on getting out.

Cass, if you find any helpful info, please let me know. I greatly appreciate any I can get. Thanks.

Cass, if you find any helpful info, please let me know. I greatly appreciate any I can get. Thanks.

here is one link that i did find that may be able to help you either call or email them im sure they will help http://www.hirenetwork.org/admin/clearinghouse.php?state_id=VA

I will keep looking for meore out there for you.

This is the main thing that i found on the site above that may help you alot:

Virginia Community Action Re-entry System, Inc. (CARES)
Virginia Community Action Re-entry System, Inc. (Virginia CARES) offers both pre-release and post-release services. In cooperation with the Virginia Department of Corrections, Virginia Cares administers a pre-release program called Productive Citizenship, which replaces the life skills program previously offered by the Department of Corrections. Post-release services are delivered from 14 sites statewide and include basic needs such as housing, clothing, and food. Additional services include job development, placement and retention services, interview skills, support groups for survival techniques, referrals to substance/alcohol treatment, and bus tickets to job interviews. Virginia CARES has forged connections with community groups, faith based organizations and volunteers to provide services needed to individuals with criminal histories.
Contact:
Ann Fisher, Director
VIRGINIA CARES
145 W. Campbell Ave., Ste. 555
Roanoke, VA 24011
540-342-9344
540-342-9427 fax
E-Mail: afisher@infionline.net (afisher@infionline.net)
Web Site: www.vacares.com (http://www.vacares.com)


I hope this helps you get on your feet hun.

can anyone find housing programs in lancaster,pa they arent taking section 8

i know that in NJ, even ex inmates with drug offenses can apply for and are often MANDATED to apply for and recieve food stamps and medicaid benefits. you'd be surprised at how many men turn these vital programs (by not participating correctly) down for fear of "embarassment". go figure.

also, i have a packet of information for NEW JERSEY residents pertaining to finding income/employment/assistance. if anyone is in NJ or interested in getting some more information (perhaps an agency can connect you to another agency in your state), PM me. :)

Hi, my brother was just released and I was interested in whatever informantion you could share with me as far as what is available for him to get back on track.

How is this legal?

Um, beacuse your not the states or BOP problem again until you reoffend.

My man may have to stay in Illinois for up to 2 months until his out of state parole gets approved. I was wondering if anyone had any resources for me to find him somewhere to stay until it is approved. Shelters will not accept parolees and you really can't get an apartment for 2 months unless you find the right landlord. There are no half way houses were he needs to go in Illinois. Any suggestions of how to get an Illinois address?

Thanks....this is the first time I have seen this post in here....Since my man was denied parole last week...think i will throw all my energy into checking all of these things out for him for when he comes home 9/21/07. Again, many thanks....this is really great!!!!!

Does anyone know if there's any kind of help for our guys in Florida?

Also, where did that info about the Inmate Benefits come from? My boyfriend sent me that exact same things a couple of months ago....I'm just wondering since there has to be some reason that's out there...would someone just make it up for no reason?

Just holding onto hope...heh...

Still waiting on miked512 to post... . What are YOUR results?