South Carolina Code of Laws
Chapter 3 - State Prison System
Section 24-3-40. Disposition of wages of prisoner allowed to work at paid employment.

(A) Unless otherwise provided by law, the employer of a prisoner authorized to work at paid employment in the community under Sections 24-3-20 to 24-3-50 or in a prison industry program provided under Article 3 of this chapter shall pay the prisoner's wages directly to the Department of Corrections.
If the prisoner is serving his sentence in a local detention or correctional facility pursuant to a designated facilities agreement or in a local work/punishment program, or if the local governing body elects to operate one, then the same provisions for payment directly to the official in charge of the facility shall apply if the facility has the means to account for such monies.
The Director of the Department of Corrections, or the local detention or correctional facility manager, if applicable, shall deduct the following amounts from the gross wages of the prisoner:
(1) If restitution to a particular victim or victims has been ordered by the court, then twenty percent must be used to fulfill the restitution obligation. If a restitution payment schedule has been ordered by the court pursuant to Section 17-25-322, the twenty percent must be applied to the scheduled payments. If restitution to a particular victim or victims has been ordered but a payment schedule has not been specified by the court, the director shall impose a payment schedule of equal monthly payments and use twenty percent to meet the payment schedule so imposed.
(2) If restitution to a particular victim or victims has not been ordered by the court, or if court-ordered restitution to a particular victim or victims has been satisfied then:
(a) if the prisoner is engaged in work at paid employment in the community, five percent must be placed on deposit with the State Treasurer for credit to a special account to support victim assistance programs established pursuant to the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, Public Law 98-473, Title II, Chapter XIV, Section 1404, and fifteen percent must be retained by the department to support services provided by the department to victims of the incarcerated population; or
(b) if the prisoner is employed in a prison industry program, ten percent must be directed to the Office of the Attorney General, South Carolina Crime Victim Services Division, Department of Crime Victim Compensation, Victim Compensation Fund for use in training, program development, victim compensation, and general administrative support pursuant to Section 16-3-1410 and ten percent must be retained by the department to support services provided by the department to victims of the incarcerated population.
(3) Thirty-five percent must be used to pay the prisoner's child support obligations pursuant to law, court order, or agreement of the prisoner. These child support monies must be disbursed to the guardian of the child or children or to appropriate clerks of court, in the case of court ordered child support, for application toward payment of child support obligations, whichever is appropriate. If there are no child support obligations, then twenty-five percent must be used by the Department of Corrections to defray the cost of the prisoner's room and board. Furthermore, if there are no child support obligations, then ten percent must be made available to the inmate during his incarceration for the purchase of incidentals pursuant to subsection (4). This is in addition to the ten percent used for the same purpose in subsection (4).
(4) Ten percent must be available to the inmate during his incarceration for the purchase of incidentals. Any monies made available to the inmate for the purchase of incidentals also may be distributed to the person or persons of the inmate's choice.
(5) Ten percent must be held in an interest bearing escrow account for the benefit of the prisoner.
(6) The remaining balance must be used to pay federal and state taxes required by law. Any monies not used to satisfy federal and state taxes must be made available to the inmate for the purchase of incidentals pursuant to subsection (4).
(B) The Department of Corrections, or the local detention or correctional facility, if applicable, shall return a prisoner's wages held in escrow pursuant to subsection (A) as follows:
(1) A prisoner released without community supervision must be given his escrowed wages upon his release.
(2) A prisoner serving life in prison or sentenced to death shall be given the option of having his escrowed wages included in his estate or distributed to the persons or entities of his choice.
(3) A prisoner released to community supervision shall receive two hundred dollars or the escrow balance, whichever is less, upon his release. Any remaining balance must be disbursed to the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services. The prisoner's supervising agent shall apply this balance toward payment of the prisoner's housing and basic needs and dispense any balance to the prisoner at the end of the supervision period.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 55-321.2; 1966 (54) 2180; 1980 Act No. 431, Section 2; 1986 Act No. 462, Section 9; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 393; 1994 Act No. 500, Section 2; 1995 Act No. 7, Part II, Section 54; 1999 Act No. 68, Section 2; 2000 Act No. 387, Part II, Section 83A; 2010 Act No. 237, Section 4, eff June 11, 2010; 2017 Act No. 96 (S.289), Section 10, eff July 1, 2017.
Effect of Amendment
The 2010 amendment rewrote subsection (A), and in subsection (B) inserted ", or the local detention or correctional facility, if applicable,".
2017 Act No. 96, Pt. II, Section 10, in (A)(2)(b), substituted "Office of the Attorney General, South Carolina Crime Victim Services Division, Department of Crime Victim Compensation, Victim Compensation Fund" for "State Office of Victim Assistance".

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