Prisoners receive Prepaid Cards

A Prepaid Card is given to every prisoner in closed prisons. In open prisons, those prisoners, who do not have a bank card connected to their own bank account, get a Prepaid Card.

The prisoners can use the Prepaid Card for making purchases in the prison canteen. The Prepaid Card can also be used outside the prison in shops, cafeterias, and on trains, i.e. in all places where it is possible to pay with a chip card. The prisoners can take the card with them outside the prison when they have a permission of leave or another permit.

The goal of introducing the Prepaid Card is that, as part of their rehabilitation, the prisoners get to practice paying with a card already during imprisonment. This facilitates the prisoners' adaptation to society after their release. When the prisoner is released, the money on the card is transferred to the bank account given by the prisoner or the prisoner can use the card until the end of the month following the release after which the card is terminated.

The Prepaid Card is not an actual bank account and interest is not paid on the money on the card. The Prepaid Card has a chip and the payment terminal checks the balance on the card during payment. The card is used by entering a personal PIN code. The cash that the prisoner has with him or her can be loaded on the Prepaid Card in euros. The Criminal Sanctions Agency pays all benefits to the prisoners into their Prepaid Cards.

Money transfers via prisoner's own IBAN account number

In future, the prisoner's family and authorities, who pay benefits, can transfer money directly to the prisoner by using the prisoner's personal IBAN account number. The prisoner has to make sure that the parties making money transfers know the correct IBAN account number. The joint income account of the Central Administration of the Criminal Sanctions Agency, which has been used for transferring money to prisoners, will be closed as the Prepaid Cards are taken into use. A fine can still be paid in prison.

According to the Imprisonment Act and the Remand Imprisonment Act, a prisoner is not allowed to possess any means of payment in a closed prison; therefore the Prepaid Cards are in the possession of the staff in closed prisons until the amendments of the legislation enter into force. The prisoners get the card when they need to pay with it or go outside the prison on a permission of leave.

The Criminal Sanctions Agency joined Hansel's framework agreement on Prepaid Services in 2015-2021. Further information on the framework agreement is provided by Juha Ståhl, Hansel: [email protected]

Further information: Income and use of money

Senior Planning Official Eija-Riitta Nelin, tel. +358 29 56 88441, Finance Director Tapio Hiltunen, tel. +358 29 56 81102 (Prepaid Card reform)

(Contact information changed 16 May, 2016, link Income and use of money added 14 June, 2016.)

The press release was revised on 11 August 2017.