Pay Day in Federal Prison

December 10, 2014

Pay Day in Federal Prison

Today, I received my first "Pay Check" in Prison. The amount deposited to my account was $ 13.50, which included a performance bonus for extraordinary work effort. The check covered the month of November for my duties as a Compound sweeper. Ironically, my monthly earnings ( $ 13.50 ) were very close to the amount I made at my first job when I was 9 years old. As a child, I cut the lawn and shoveled the snow for two widows in our neighborhood. They each paid me $ 10.00 per month for my services. As you may know, $20.00 went allot father in the 1960's! With my first paycheck, I intended to purchase several extra items at the commissary. The items included:

• -new coffee cup
• -writing paper
• -new tooth brush
• -Protein bars
• -extra socks

I waited in line at the commissary this morning for 45 minutes and finally stepped up to the window to process my order. Halfway through the process, the clerk told me I had exhausted my account balance and no further items could be purchased. In essence, my debit card was declined at the register at the prison commissary. (new financial low?)

Dejected, I sulked away with half my order. Later, I learned that the Government had imposed a $25 charge to my account for Court Costs that were already paid? This caused my account balance to shrink below it's known level.

Well, from an employment prospective, I am right back to where I started over 50 years ago. The good news is that my earning potential has nowhere to go but up!

Ken Flaska