Since 2022, the Allegheny County Jail Oversight Board (JOB) has approved monthly disbursements of $125 to individuals in custody from the Incarcerated Individuals Welfare Fund (IIWF). In 2024, the IIWF program provided more than $2.6 million to over 6,000 accounts for incarcerated individuals. These payments provide individuals in custody with funds that can cover expenses for phone calls, tablet use, commissary items and legal fess (e.g., fines, bail). Recipients can also save funds for use after release.
In January 2025, the JOB asked DHS to provide a descriptive analysis of the IIWF’s recipients and their use of the funds to inform future disbursement of the IIWF. Review the report to learn more about the IIWF—including who receives funds, how recipients spend funds and what impact the funds have on individuals’ outcomes post release.
Key Takeaways
Reach
- Sixty-three percent of people in the ACJ in 2024 received at least one $125 payment from the IIWF during their stay. If the JOB were to disburse money more than one time a month, more people in the jail would benefit from receiving it.
Reliance
- 1 in 5 IIWF recipients did not receive any other deposits in their account, underscoring the importance of the IIWF for individuals in custody who do not receive funds from families and friends outside the jail.
Spending Patterns
- External deposits (from friends and family) did not decrease with the onset of the IIWF.
- For individuals who received funds in their first month at the ACJ, the IIWF lead to an increase in spending in every category of purchase—especially on commissary items.
Balance at Release
- Among Individuals in the ACJ for one month or less
-
- The median balance of IIWF recipients at release was $105 more than individuals who did not receive payments through IIWF.
- IIWF recipients were almost 5x more likely to have a balance over $50 at release than non-recipients.
-
- Among long stayers (individuals who stayed more than a month in jail):
-
- After the implementation of the IIWF, the median balance at release grew from $4 to $60 and the share of individuals leaving the jail with at least $10 rose from 45% to 76%.
-
Post-Release Outcomes
- Short-term outcomes—such as rebooking, emergency room use, shelter use, street homelessness—were not significantly different between individuals who left the ACJ with more than $75 and those who had no funds at release.
Questions or Feedback?
We welcome your questions and suggestions. To share feedback, you can reach us at DHSResearch@alleghenycounty.us. If you’d like to stay informed, consider signing up for our newsletter. To learn how to use DHS data in your research, please visit our Requesting Data page. Thank you for your time and interest. Your engagement helps shape and improve how we share data that matters.