The bill H. 3559 seeks to amend Section 24-3-40 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, which governs the disposition of wages earned by prisoners allowed to work. The key change proposed is that prisoners who earn less than the federally established minimum wage and do not have child support obligations will not have 25% of their wages deducted for room and board costs. Instead, this amount will be made available to the inmate for purchasing incidentals during their incarceration, in addition to the existing 10% allocated for the same purpose.

Additionally, the bill specifies that 35% of a prisoner's wages must still be allocated to child support obligations if applicable. If there are no child support obligations, the bill allows for the entirety of the wages (previously subject to room and board deductions) to be available to the inmate for personal use. This legislation aims to provide financial relief to low-wage prisoners, ensuring they have more access to their earnings while incarcerated. The act will take effect upon approval by the Governor.

Statutes affected:
12/05/2024: 24-3-40
Latest Version: 24-3-40