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passmeby · Mar 8, 2010, 10:20 AM

How/when do I get the money for the time I served in jail? I was told it was $80/day. Or does that only apply if you have fines? Or if you do not get convicted and have no fines, do you just get a check? What's the deal?

this8384 · Mar 8, 2010, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by passmeby

How/when do I get the money for the time I served in jail?? I was told it was $80/day. Or does that only apply if you have fines? Or if you do not get convicted and have no fines, do you just get a check?? What's the deal??

I don't understand your question. Are you under the impression that you get paid to be incarcerated? How and why would that make any sense?

passmeby · Mar 8, 2010, 11:33 AM

Well, when I was in jail, they said your time is worth $80/day. People serving time in jail are sometimes serving the time in lieu of paying actual cash money-obviously, if a person doesn't have the cash to pay the fines, they spend out the time in jail at a set rate. So... if you don't have fines or conviction, do you still get the $80/day for the time you served while you were awaiting trial or waiting to be bailed out?

passmeby · Mar 8, 2010, 12:40 PM

Well, yeah, you do get paid for being in jail. Serving time pays off fines at a set rate per day (if a person cannot or does not pay their fines with cash, serving jail time pays off fines... so YES, you DO get paid to sit in jail). And I'm talking about (unconvicted, just accused)JAIL here, not prison-totally different! So if a person is sitting in jail awating trial or waiting to be bailed out, my question is, do those people get money credited to them just the same?

twinkiedooter · Mar 8, 2010, 12:42 PM

Most jails actually have the pay to stay program and charge YOU around $50 per DAY for the privilege of staying in their fine four star "hotel".

Who gave you the misinformation about THEY pay YOU? Whoever it was was obviously pulling your leg.

passmeby · Mar 8, 2010, 12:59 PM

Oh gosh, everyone said it, the people incarcerated and the officers. The person who was my cellie was paying off fines, so she was getting paid for each day. She had a set amount of days to serve out to cover the fine.

JudyKayTee · Mar 8, 2010, 02:49 PM

You can't be serious. Oh, wait, maybe she can/is.

Your husband is in law enforcement. You are an advisor on gang activities for your local Police force. Ask either one of them.

passmeby · Mar 8, 2010, 04:44 PM

Well look it up, it's Comanche County Oklahoma, I'm not wrong. I thought it was a common thing, but apparently it's not! Why else would people serve out time in jail if they didn't pay their fines? Obviously, it's because the money is deducted by the amount of time served. What's the penalty for not paying fines? JAIL. So obviously you DO get "paid" to be in jail... but apparently here it's different than in other places. I already did ask the police, they said the time is worth $80/day. They did not however, supply an answer on how to obtain the money if you end up unconvicted, they only said that it can be applied to fines but they didn't say that they didn't pay out if unconvicted though, so I don't know. I will just try to get ahold of my lawyer, but he is extremely hard to get ahold of, which is why I just asked here. Thought it was a simple common question! Guess not, apparently it differs according to region. But no, they absolutely DO NOT charge money per day. They PAY. It's Comanche County, City Jail, Oklahoma. My husband works in a prison, which is a world of difference from a jail!

Fr_Chuck · Mar 8, 2010, 07:13 PM

OMG he is serious, I have nothing to say, but if you can't pay a fine, or don't, they sentence you to a number of days in jail instead of the fine. They may have a dollar figure they use, but it is not paid to anyone, just used as a normal amount of fine forgiven for a number of days in jail. ** when you normally would not go to jail for the sentnece.

Again, I really hope this is not a seroius question

excon · Mar 9, 2010, 12:13 PM

Hello again, pass:

They DO pay you. They give you free meals, free utilities, free rent. They even provide security. It's like living in a gated community.

excon

passmeby · Mar 9, 2010, 02:29 PM

LOL, true! No TV though! And if I ever go in again, I'm asking for the Kosher meals!

twinkiedooter · Mar 10, 2010, 07:20 AM

Originally Posted by passmeby

Well, when I was in jail, they said your time is worth $80/day. People serving time in jail are sometimes serving the time in lieu of paying actual cash money-obviously, if a person doesn't have the cash to pay the fines, they spend out the time in jail at a set rate. So.....if you don't have fines or conviction, do you still get the $80/day for the time you served while you were awaiting trial or waiting to be bailed out??

To answer your question - NO, you don't get "paid" to stay in jail if you are not "working" off fines. And if you were in jail and didn't have any fines to pay off the county is certainly NOT going to cut you a check for $80/day for the days you spent in their lovely hotel. You seem to have your hand out waiting for the money to fall into it with this scenerio. Not happening. Sorry. You don't see the money even if you had fines to pay. The "money" would be credited - not actually paid. Nice try. No cigar.

coreycritchley · Oct 24, 2011, 08:31 AM

I was in jail for 45 days, awaiting other (traffic) tickets when I was discharged, a lot of the inmates with small and longer term stays told me about going to the law library and getting a $10 a day form which gives you $10 credit for each day you were incarcerated towards whatever fines and fees I had that needed to be paid when I was out of jail? Does anyone know where I can find those sheets or even if its true? Thank you

figarrocigarro · Jun 7, 2012, 01:00 AM

"Hello again, pass:

They DO pay you. They give you free meals, free utilities, free rent. They even provide security. It's like living in a gated community.

excon"

Yep, A gated community your not allowed to leave, invite people in, lose all rights and freedoms and in many states enjoy the famous strip search, not to mention the net money loss for not going to work (usually followed by losing your job) on top of the real world bills you still need to pay when you get out(or lose, i.e. house, car, family etc etc), great great deal they got going at that resort

PolkaDotPanda · Jun 7, 2012, 05:34 AM

Do you realize how many people would WANT to go to jail if you really DID get paid $80 a day for the "privilege"? That's a completely ridiculous notion to expect to get money for doing your time (beyond having the time you serve credited toward any fines or fees). Very few WORKING (not jailed) people make $80 for a HONEST day's work.