Prison income

[Danielle]

Client's son is presently in prison and working in a work release program. Employer pays the prisoner's wages to the prison. The prison deducts approzimately 40% for various reasons before putting the remainder in prisoners account.

He made approzimately $15,000 which will probably ve shown on his W2 as wages. However, he will have only received $9,000 in payment. Since payment to the prison is a requirement to be able to work would he have any recourse to reduce the full amount to just the amount he actually received through work related deductions.

[taxmandan]

Prison pay

I doubt it, that 40% deducted is likely for restitution that he owes the victim(s). The state may take some of it for the cost of guards, transportation, and workplace lunch, and I don't think those would be a deduction for him either.

[jainen]

what really happened

It doesn't sound like the prison is the employer, so whatever is being withheld probably isn't work-related in the sense of being for the convenience of the actual employer. You'll have to wait for the W-2 to find out what really happened.