Believe it or not, even a three-year prison sentence can cost you more than you bargained for. For a 1,095 day stay at the department of corrections, you could pay as much as $54,750 in fees, which equate to $50 per day in prison. What's worse than being sentenced to prison for a drug conviction is being charged for having a drug problem. The cost of your prison bill will often depend on the length of your stay. In Florida, one law lets the state charge inmates $50 a day to cover the costs of prison. Each person convicted will basically pay $50 a day for their incarceration, and 43 other states charge room and board in prison at similar prices. For example, Chicago inmate Johnnie Melton had to pay almost $20,000 for his time incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Emotional and Financial Tax: Cost to Family Members
You may not believe that your incarceration will affect your family, but along with the emotional tax of having a loved one behind bars, you have the financial tax. State and federal prisons charge as much as 13 cents a minute, and for prepaid or interstate calls, the price skyrockets to 25 cents a minute. You can end up paying as much as $17 for a 15-minute phone call because you often face additional service charges like:
Automated Payment Fees — $3.00
Paper Bill Statement Fee — $2.00
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You not only have to worry about that, but long probation periods are also common for narcotics offenses. Drug defendants who have agreed to drug court might also spend between 12 to 15 months in treatment sessions and random drug tests. A full year of methadone maintenance treatment costs $4,700. The cost of rehab can also be a deterrent. Sometimes insurance will cover the cost of a drug treatment program, but in other cases, insurance only covers specific charges under the