NYDailyNews Reports
Albany,New York-Who says crime doesn't pay?
A new state audit found nearly a dozen prisoners got more than just three hots and a cot -- they also got state unemployment checks.
The 11 prisoners amazingly collected $29,399 in unemployment insurance benefits, state Controller Thomas DiNapoli said in an audit released Tuesday.
DiNapoli's office also stopped an additional $18,261 in payments that would have gone to the individuals.
In some cases, inmates were using the names and Social Security numbers of people on the outside to get benefits.
Auditors also identified another 14 they thought might have improperly received payments at a time when they had been in prison, including one who was jailed under another person's name, Social Security number, and date of birth.
Of the remaining 13, nine checked out as having received benefits properly.
The other four had their checks suspended because they did not respond for requests for information.
"Crime should not pay, but these prisoners figured out a way to game the system from inside a cell," DiNapoli said.
DiNapoli noted that in order to qualify for unemployment benefits, a person has to be "ready, willing and able to work in their usual employment or in another place of employment that matches their training and experience."
Auditors recommended that the state Department of Labor recover all inappropriate payments and assess penalties.
They also suggested the departments of labor and corrections work together to find out how prisoners were certified for unemployment benefits and share info, including a monthly report of inmate names and Social Security numbers, so it doesn't happen again.
Both agencies promised to work to make the needed changes.
}
Comments