Former inmates at Rikers Island and other Big Apple lockups have left behind a staggering $4.2 million in their commissary accounts — and it’s still waiting to be refunded, officials say.
The hefty pot of money is linked to more than 319,000 commissary accounts of ex-detainees as of May this year, the city’s the Department of Correction said in a report on the unclaimed dough.
Some of the accounts may belong to the same inmates because of repeated stints at the jails, but the number of individuals owed money would still be in the thousands.
Details of the unclaimed millions were laid bare by the department under new city legislation that requires jails to publicly release the refundable commissary figure each year.
The DOC, under the 2021 City Council law, also has to detail its annual efforts to return the cash to its former inmates.
The report, first cited by The City, said agency officials notified incarcerated inmates about the leftover dough and how to retrieve it by posting flyers in its various lockups.
“Formerly incarcerated individuals can claim their unused commissary funds in person at Department Cashier Windows or giving the Department an address to which a check can be sent by mail,” the report stated.
“Individuals can immediately receive up to $200 in cash of such funds when they are discharged from the Department’s custody to the community.”
It is unclear what the city may do with any unclaimed funds. At one point, jail officials suggested inmates vote on how to use the money, such as for new gym equipment, The City said.
To make it easier for individuals to claim their unused funds, the DOC said it had raised the amount of cash available upon discharge from $100 to $200.
“The money can be claimed at a DOC Cashier’s Window at any time, free of charge. Unused funds exceeding $200 are returned by check and sent via mail,” a DOC spokesperson said.
“The DOC, by law, cannot use the money for any reason and we work diligently to get the funds back in the right hands. And while we appreciate the former Chief of Staff’s concerns about this matter, it should be noted that during her tenure the DOC had almost $3.9 million in unclaimed commissary funds.”